


Deep Blue

by good_mythical_miles



Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Drowning, F/M, Homophobia, Interspecies, M/M, Merman Rhett, Near Death, aquarist link, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2018-07-11 16:35:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 41,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7060579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_mythical_miles/pseuds/good_mythical_miles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aquarist Link gets a big shock when his place of work gets a brand new exhibit. (Inspired by GMM #781)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've wanted to write a MerRhett fic for a really long time now, but I was always really worried about it being too similar to the existing fics. I finally gave in, and started one. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it!

Aquarist Link had received the biggest news of his aquarist life. According to an email he had received from the head of the aquarium just a few days earlier, merpeople existed. Not only did merpeople exist, the aquarium that Link worked at now housed one. He initially thought it was a prank, even though his boss was never one for joking around. However, pictures and videos that were sent along with the email made it clear that this was no prank. Due to these recent developments, Link was extremely nervous for his next shift—nervous and excited.

Link was gripping his steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white. He was almost to the employee parking lot. Soon enough, Link would meet a creature that, until very recently, was thought to be imaginary. When he walked into work, all of his fellow aquarists were restlessly standing around, eager to be lead to wherever their new merman was being kept. They had been instructed to wait in the main entrance for their boss.

Link stood next to his coworker that he was closest with: Rachel. She was actually the person who convinced him to apply for his current job. Initially, their relationship consisted of a healthy dose of playful flirtation. Another of Link’s coworkers convinced him to take her on a date. One date turned into three, and soon enough, they were a couple. After a few months of dating, they were talking about moving in together. It was during this time that Link realized something about himself: he was bisexual. After a lot of talking between the two of them, they agreed that they were the right people for each other, but it was just the wrong time. Link had a lot that he still wanted to experience. They agreed to break up, but their friendly relationship was practically unaffected.

“Hey, girl,” Link said playfully, trying to bury his merman-related nerves.

“Aaah, the Linkster is finally here! Are you ready for what we’re about to see!?”

“Nope. Not even a little bit,” he said honestly. “You?”

“I’m in the same boat…”

It was then that their boss entered.

“Good morning, Drew,” the aquarists greeted their superior.

“Good morning, everyone. As you all know, we’ve got a very exciting new creature here at our facility. We’ve got a lot to learn about him and his kind, and I trust that you’ll be able to do so efficiently as well as humanely. Our new friend is currently housed in the trout exhibit. He started out in the sea lion exhibit, but that didn’t work out too well.”

The aquarists all shared a concerned look. “Are the sea lions okay?” Chase, another one of Link’s coworkers asked.

“Oh yeah, they’re totally fine. The two just didn’t get along.”

The look of concern morphed into one of confusion.

“Anyway, let’s go meet our merman!”

Drew invited his employees to follow him through the many hallways, until they eventually arrived at the trout exhibit. At first, the only things visible in the tank were a few trout. The aquarists were all starting to think this whole thing _was_ actually a prank, when suddenly, a large form darted out from behind the rocks. As the creature broke the surface of the water with great velocity, a splash flew over the walls of the exhibit and hit the first row of employees. The trout were all scared into hiding.

Link’s eyes were wide with shock. The creature in front of him was absolutely stunning. His upper body really did look just like a human’s. Well, the form did. The colors were different. The merman’s hair was light green. It stuck up in a perfectly sculpted up-do. Not a strand was out of place, despite the water. He had a beard of the same color. His body was different shades of green, the darkest shade belonging to odd stripes framing his arms, shoulders, and chest. The merman’s tail was shimmering all different shades of green and blue. The creature flexed, making him look absolutely enormous. The droplets running along the frame of the body only served to accentuate his impressive muscles. All in all, Link estimated that he was about 7 feet tall. The creature’s tail was moving back and forth in ways that absolutely dumbfounded Link, keeping the creature’s torso above the water.

After everyone recovered from the initial shock, everyone but Link, Drew announced that they decided to name the creature Trevor, since any and all communication had been a failure so far. The aquarists spent the next couple of hours listening to the scientific findings gathered from various DNA samples that were collected. Link wasn’t listening. He was too distracted by the looming, powerful creature before him.

“Can he talk?” Link wondered to himself.

The merman spent the time moving back and forth, scrutinizing each of the aquarists from head to toe. He arrived at Link last. Link gasped when they made eye contact, immediately looking to the ground instead. The creature was beyond intimidating. Link could feel his eyes analyzing everything about him.

“Link?” Drew called. The tone made it obvious that he had been trying to get Link’s attention for a while already.

“Uh, s—sorry… What?” Link realized after a moment that he had stopped breathing. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his tan shorts and stepped forward, showing that he was now listening.

“I’m adding Trevor to your schedule today. I have faith that you’ll be able to handle him.”

“I… Uh… Oh… Gosh, um… Alright. Thank you, Sir. It’s… It’s an honor,” Link managed to choke out. The merman was still glaring directly at him.

“Well, everyone,” Drew said with a clap of his hands, “let’s get ready for the day. The trout exhibit will be closed until we figure out how we’re going to handle our new friend here.”

Everyone went their separate ways, leaving Link alone with Trevor. At least, that’s what Link thought. He jumped in fright when Rachel’s voice broke the tense silence.

“He won’t stop looking at you, Link…” She sounded just as entranced as Link felt.

“I… I know…” Link had managed to gain the confidence needed to reciprocate the gaze, and now, he couldn’t break it.

“I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not…” she muttered, placing a hand on Link’s shoulder.

“Me neither…”

“Rachel, get going!” Drew reminded her via their radios.

“Good luck,” she whispered before running off.

Now, Link truly was alone with the marvelous being.

“Soooo, Trevor…” Link awkwardly said, walking cautiously closer to the wall of the tank. “I’m Link. I guess… I guess I’ll be taking care of you…”

“LINK!” Trevor bellowed.

It scared the shit out of Link, who nearly fell over out of fear. The volume of the merman’s voice shook him—at least that’s how Link perceived it. “Y—yes?” So, the merman _could_ talk.

“HUMAN! HUMAN LINK!”

“Y—yes, Trevor. I’m… I’m a human named Link… Y—you speak English?”

“MY NAME IS NOT TREVOR, HUMAN!”

“S—sorry… What is it, then?” Link asked, slowly getting used to the volume, as well as the fact that this creature could speak to him in a language that he understood.

“MY TRUE NAME IS RHETT!”

“Rhett?” Link mused with a smile. For some reason, the name didn’t seem to fit the holier-than-thou vibe that the creature was giving off.

The merman, Rhett, sunk below the surface of the water and calmly swam to the wall where Link was. He rose once more so that the two men were face to face. Rhett’s tone was softer now, but no less intimidating.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Human Link. You are by far the most aesthetically pleasing human I’ve come across.”

Link couldn’t help but blush. “Uh… Th—thank you…”

“What is your face doing, human!? Are you alright!?”

“Oh, yeah… Uh… F--Fine.”

“You seem to be having trouble speaking, as well! Human, are you sure that you’re healthy!?” The merman was beginning to raise his voice again.

“Shhh, Rhett. I’m fine, really! Just, keep your voice down, okay?”

The merman squinted, not sure if the human was being honest with him, but soon, he gave up his questioning. “Human, your face is back to its normal hue.”

“Please, just call me Link, okay?”

“Yes, Link.”

“Well, Rhett… I guess we should get to know each other now that we’ll be working together.”

“Working together?” The merman asked, an eyebrow raised.

“You’re at an aquarium. We put on shows for the public so they can learn about sea life.”

“SHOWS!? I AM NO SPECTACLE!”

Link flinched at the sudden change in volume. “Shhh,” he reminded the creature again. “It’s alright. We’re not gonna have you put on any demeaning acts.” Link prayed that this wasn’t a false promise.

Rhett grunted. “Well, whether or not my ‘show’ will be ‘demeaning,’ I would like to get some rest beforehand.”

“It’s not going to be for at least a few days,” Link reassured him.

“I do not care.” Rhett stated matter-of-factly. “Please, allow me to rest before prodding me for information.”

Link felt like he shouldn’t bother the merman any further. It was alright. Link needed to tend to the sea lions during this shift as well, anyway. It’d give him a chance to do that. Although, if Link were being honest, he didn’t want to look away from the amazing sight before him. He sighed and began to walk off.

The sea lion exhibit was visible from the trout exhibit. When Link began to practice behaviors with the mammals, he heard Rhett’s booming voice once more.

“HUMAN! I FORBID YOU FROM HAVING ANY SORT OF CONTACT WITH THOSE RETCHID CREATURES EVER AGAIN!”

Link raised an eyebrow, but ignored the merman. At least, he ignored him at first…

“HUMAAAAAAN!” the merman bellowed. “COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!”

It didn’t seem like Rhett would stop his screaming, so Link walked back to the trout exhibit. Rhett was right where Link had left him.

“What is it!?”

“Human—“

“Link. My name is Link,” he corrected.

“Human Link, those sea lions are _not_ to be trusted…” the merman whispered.

“What? Why!?”

“They were telling me of the behaviors that you and your fellow humans have taught them…”

“Um… And?”

“They refused to kiss my handsome cheek! REFUSED! THE REPULSIVE CREATURES REFUSED! DO YOU HEAR ME, SEA LIONS!? YOU NAUSEATING BEASTS!”

Link squeaked. “Rhett, please. Please calm down! I… I’m sorry the sea lions offended you... I… I’ll stay here and talk to you instead, if that’d make you happy.”

“Humph. As long as you’re not with _them_ ,” Rhett spat.

That settled it. Link would stay and get to know his new merman friend just like he had wanted to in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2

Link took off his shoes and socks so that he could sit on the edge of the merman’s tank with his feet in the water. As he climbed up the ladder and took a seat, the large merman watched suspiciously.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Link asked, creating a small splash as he kicked his legs. The cool water was more than welcome in the hot weather.

“I do not know what you are planning… What are your motives, human!?” Rhett demanded answers. His volume wasn’t nearly what it was initially, but it was still loud.

“We’re gonna get to know each other. I think that’s important if we’re gonna work together, don’t you?”

Rhett grumbled something under his breath, but Link ignored it. “Well, human, ask me a question.”

Link thought for a moment. “Why haven’t we ever seen one of your kind?”

“We merpeople prefer to keep to ourselves. That’s all.”

“Why did you agree to come to the aquarium? Don’t you have a family?” Link asked this question, firmly believing that nobody would have taken this creature against his will.

“They promised me a steady source of food, human! It’s obviously better than hunting all day. I mean, there’s always kelp, but that’s just…” The merman shuddered as he thought of the taste.

“But what about your family?” Link reminded the creature of the second part of the question.

“I’ve been alone for a long time.” The merman’s demeanor was cold as he answered.

“Do most merpeople live alone?”

Rhett chuckled loudly. “Ha! Hardly, Human Link. Hardly.”

“Then why—“

“My family and I had a disagreement, and I left. That’s all. I do not need them.”

Link nodded slowly. “I… I guess I kind of had the same thing happen to me.” Link didn’t mean to get emotional, but… He couldn’t help it. His conservative family didn’t understand when he came out as bisexual, so their contact was cut off.

“HUMAN LINK! WHY DO YOU LOOK SAD!?” The merman gasped, rushing closer to Link.

“Just family issues. It’s okay!” Link put on his happy face and continued on with his questions. “What’s your favorite hobby?”

“I do not understand…”

“What… What do you do for fun?”

“Ah! I’ve always enjoyed pulling on fishing lines. It terrifies humans!” Rhett let out a boisterous laugh.  

Link smiled, this time genuinely. The sound of the merman’s laugh was like music to his ears—he’d never heard a laugh quite like it. It was so hearty. The volume behind it left no room to question its authenticity.

“Have you ever heard of The Little Mermaid?” Link wondered.

The expression on Rhett’s face transformed. He looked absolutely horrified. “Human, we have just met! How could you ask me such an inappropriate question!?”

“What? I don’t… I don’t understand…” What was inappropriate about a Disney movie!?

“Human, I thought your kind hadn’t seen any merpeople before…?”

“We haven’t. Well, not really. We’ve always had myths and stories about merpeople, but—“

“Then how do you know about her!?”

Link giggled awkwardly. He was completely lost. “The Little Mermaid is a children’s movie, Rhett…”

“HUMAN, THE LITTLE MERMAID IS NOT FOR THE EYES OF CHILDREN!”

“How do you guys even have movies?” Link asked.

“I do not know what a movie is.”

“Well, then how do you know about The Little Mermaid?”

“Human, the Little Mermaid is… She is… She’s a merwoman named Shelly. Little Mermaid is her stage name… She… She dances for lonely mermen!”

Link choked on his own spit, blushing again. “WHAT!? No, no, no. Rhett, _our_ The Little Mermaid is just a children’s movie about a mermaid who falls in love with a human man. It’s for kids.” Link was giggling uncontrollably, his embarrassment getting the best of him.

Rhett sighed deeply, placing a hand on his muscular chest over his heart—or, where the human heart would be. Link didn’t know if the anatomy was absolutely the same. “I am so relieved, human! I thought… I thought you showed your children adult material! I’m still confused, though, human. Please tell me what a movie is.”

“I… Hmm…” Link was silent for a long time. “A movie is… It’s either drawings or…something recorded…that we watch for entertainment. I’ll show you one sometime!” Link promised. “If… If you want me to, of course.”

“Of course, human! I’m very interested in _your_ Little Mermaid.”

“Well, there’s thousands of movies out there. I’ll think of some to show you.”

“Thank you, human! Oh, you are too kind!”

Link laughed. He could feel Rhett’s personality shifting the longer they talked. He was much more personable now.

“Hey, Rhett?”

“What is it, human? I have given you permission to ask me questions. You have my attention already.”

Link laughed to himself. “Why won’t you just call me by my name? Why do you keep just calling me ‘human?’”

Rhett thought for a moment. “I’m not sure, human! Uh, Link. It feels right.”

Link shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” He had stopped correcting the merman. It seemed like a lost cause.

It was then that the alarm on Link’s wristwatch went off, signaling the beginning of his lunch break. The high-pitched alarm made Rhett jump.

“What is that noise!?”

“It’s just my watch!” Link held out his wrist for Rhett to see.

The merman took Link’s hand in his own, pulling it closer to his face. Link’s heart skipped a beat at the touch. The grip was strong, yet gentle. Rhett’s skin was strangely warm despite having been in the water for…well…for a really long time.

“It tells the time,” Link whispered.

“Why did it make that noise?”

“I set it to do that when my lunch break starts,” he explained.

“Lunch break?”

“I get paid to be here. It’s my job, and I’m here all day. So I need to take a break for lunch.” Link spun and hopped off of the side of the tank onto the concrete floor.

“Human, where are you going!?”

“To eat lunch…” Link laughed. “Rachel, the girl who was here with me earlier, asked me to go with her to get burgers today.”

Rhett squinted his eyes, clearly suspicious again.

“What is it?” Link asked.

“I don’t trust her.”

“Why!?” Link asked. He could understand Rhett not trusting the sea lions after they refused to kiss his cheek, but he hadn’t spoken to Rachel even once.

Rhett grumbled again and sunk under the water, waving for Link to go away. Link stayed still for a moment, wondering if he had said anything wrong. He had managed to get past the act that the merman was putting on, able to see his genuine personality. He was worried, now, that he ruined all of his progress. Rhett’s back was facing the glass as he swam behind the rocks of the exhibit. Link sighed and left to meet up with Rachel in the break room.

He entered the relatively large room that was lit by bright fluorescent lights. There were quite a few people wandering around getting lunches out of the fridge and microwaving things. Link finally spotted Rachel waving to get his attention. He waved back and headed over to her.

“Hey!” he smiled.

“In-n-Out?” she suggested hopefully.

“I’m always up for that!” Link agreed enthusiastically, and grabbed his car keys from his locker.

The drive was a short one, and once there, they got through the drive-thru in record time. Link parked so the two could eat together. A comfortable silence lingered between them while they devoured their burgers. Rachel finished first, and as she started on her fries, asked Link, “So, how’s your day going so far?”

Link held up a finger, wordlessly asking her to be patient while he finished his large bite. Finally getting it down, he responded, “Weird. But nice. Rhett is quite the character.”

“Who’s Rhett?” Rachel looked at him, utterly lost.

“Oh, right. Trevor. Rhett is his real name.”

“He can speak English!?” Rachel’s jaw dropped, and the French fry she had just began chewing fell out onto her lap. Both adults laughed.

“I know, it scared the shit out of me. He likes to yell. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it.”

“So, Trevor’s real name is Rhett… Did you find out any other interesting info?”

Link started giggling, his mind wandering back to their Little Mermaid misunderstanding. “Um, well… I brought up The Little Mermaid. Turns out, merpeople have their own Little Mermaid.”

“You’re kidding me!” Rachel gasped. “That’s my favorite Disney movie!”

“Yeah, well… _Their_ Little Mermaid is a stage name for a mermaid named Shelly. Shelly is an exotic dancer.”

Rachel began choking on another fry. Link smacked her back a few times, laughing. “OH MY GOD!”

“Rhett was horrified when I told him that human children watch the Little Mermaid. It took us a while to figure out the confusion.”

Rachel was laughing so hard that tears were beginning to spill from her eyes. Link spotted the time on his car’s dashboard—it was time to start driving back. The two continued running through their day’s events, when Link remembered something. “Oh, Rachel? Do you think you could take over my sea lion duty today? I’ll get the shark’s vitamins all set for you…”

“I’m down with trading… Why?”

“Rhett ‘forbid’ me from being near the sea lions. He started screaming at me when I tried to go train with them. I think I’m gonna have to talk with Drew about changing my regular duties.”

“Oh gosh. Well, just let me know. I’m down to trade anything.”

When the two got back to the aquarium, there was still a few minutes left of their break. “Can I meet Rhett?” Rachel asked.

“Hell, I don’t own the guy! You don’t have to ask me,” Link laughed. “But sure, you can come back with me!”

When they approached the trout exhibit, the merman was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is he?” Rachel asked, walking back and forth along the tank’s wall in search of the creature.

“When I left he went back there behind those rocks…” Link pointed to a large rock formation that they couldn’t see behind from outside the tank. His mind suddenly flashed back to the last words shared between himself and Rhett. The merman said he didn’t trust Rachel… Link studied his friend, wondering if he should tell her. Before he could make a decision, Rhett darted out from behind the rocks, much like he had earlier that morning. Rachel shrieked, startled, but giggled once the initial shock wore off.

“So, your name is Rhett?” she asked the merman, who was towering over them.

Rhett merely glared at the woman.

“Rhett, this is my friend Rachel! She works here, too. She’ll probably be working with you occasionally.”

Rhett didn’t take his eyes away from Rachel. “Link, I do not appreciate you bringing her to my home.”

“Uuuuh...” Link looked to Rachel and shrugged, mouthing the words, “I don’t know.”

“Rhett, I’m just as interested as Link is to get to know you! I think we could—“

“SILENCE!” Rhett bellowed.

Both Rachel and Link jumped at the volume. Link rolled his eyes, exasperated.

“HUMAN WOMAN, GET AWAY FROM MY LINK IMMEDIATELY.”

Rachel and Link looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Neither one knew what to say. Rachel leaned in close and said, “Guess I’ll go get back to work…”

They bid each other farewell, and Link watched his friend wander over to the sea lions.

Rhett scoffed, splashing water in her direction. “See, Link? I knew she couldn’t be trusted. She’s friends with the sea lions.”

Link frowned. What was all this about?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!!! Hopefully it was worth it! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.

The next few days were spent similar to that first one. There was a lot of yelling from Rhett, especially when Link was attempting to tend to other exhibits. Link only worked a half day on Fridays. When he showed up, Rachel was waiting for him by the staff lockers, a troubled look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Link asked, cautiously approaching her.

“Link, Rhett won’t talk to anybody else.”

“What?”

“He just… He refuses to talk to anybody but you. If any of us try to work with him, he either just shuts up and hides or he screams at us to leave.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea… But Drew is talking about you being permanently on Merman duty.”

Link frowned. He enjoyed getting to know Rhett, but part of the reason why he had taken the job of aquarist in the first place was to experience and learn about different animals… He enjoyed the variety… Even though he couldn’t speak verbally to the other animals, he had built up relationships with them. He didn’t want to be stuck to one exhibit.

Before Link could speak, he heard his name called out on the radio. “Link, assistance is needed at the merman exhibit…!” The voice belonged to Chase, the youngest aquarist at the facility. The poor boy was clearly panicking.

Link threw his backpack into his locker and ran off. When he arrived at the trout exhibit, he could see Rhett using his tail to violently splash water at Chase, who was cowering.

“Rhett, what are you doing to him!? Stop it!” Link yelled.

“AH! Human Link, you have returned!” Rhett bellowed. Rhett stopped his splashing and swam to the wall of the tank.

“What’s going on, Rhett!?” Link demanded.

“They want to keep us apart, Human Link!”

“N…No, Rhett… This is Chase. He’s one of my coworkers… We all share shifts at different exhibits. We share responsibilities!”

“What!?” Rhett gasped. He looked almost…offended?

Link had no idea what he’d said wrong. “Um… What’s the matter?”

“HUMAN, I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE FRIENDS. I _TRUSTED_ YOU, YET YOU VIEW ME AS A _RESPONSIBILITY_ ,” he spat. “HUMAN, KINDLY LEAVE MY SIGHT AND NEVER RETURN.” Rhett spun in the water, crossed his arms, and propelled himself behind the large rocks.

Link was speechless. He slowly turned to face Chase, who merely shrugged and left. Link’s blood ran cold. He very well might have just ruined the aquarium’s chance of researching merpeople. But if he were being honest with himself, he didn’t care much about the research. He felt like shit because he’d hurt Rhett. Rhett misunderstood the situation, and Link felt like it was his fault for not explaining things to the merman. Link was surprised when he started to get choked up.

 _“Don’t cry…”_ he whispered to himself.

Link ran back into the employee locker room and fumbled with his lock, opening it after three attempts. He grabbed his backpack and ran back to the trout exhibit. He kneeled down and banged his fist against the glass.

Rhett peeked his head out from behind one of the large rocks, making eye contact with Link, his expression full of suspicion.

Link kneeled before unzipping his backpack. He pulled out his “The Little Mermaid” DVD and held it up to the glass. Rhett couldn’t see what it was from his place in the tank, so he cautiously swam closer. Link could tell the second Rhett had read the title, because he perked up. Link motioned with his hand upwards, silently asking Rhett to swim to the surface. He did.

Link stood up to meet Rhett. “I brought this for us to watch tonight once the museum closes,” he admitted bashfully.

Rhett took the DVD case from Link and, after a moment of looking it over, managed to figure out how to open it. When he saw the disc, he handed the box back to Link. “You’re lying to me, Human!” Rhett scoffed. He started to swim away again, but Link called out for him to stop.

“What do you mean!?”

“You told me that a movie was drawings that you watch. That is just _one_ drawing, and there isn’t even a merperson on it! You cannot convince me that humans stare at a single image for hours on end for entertainment! I may not know about your culture, but I am _not_ stupid!”

“No, Rhett! You… You put this into a DVD player and _then_ we can see the images! It… I honestly don’t know how to explain it! Will you _please_ just trust me? I can’t show it to you until tonight, because I’m not really allowed to move equipment…” Link rambled on.

Rhett sighed. “Alright, Human Link. I will give you one last chance. But if you fail me—“

“Rhett, can I just explain something to you?” Link interrupted.

“What is it, Human Link?”

Link thought that was a good sign—Rhett was calling him Human Link again, not just Human.

“This is my job because I love what I do. It’s… It’s a passion of mine, Rhett. Just because it’s a job doesn’t mean that it’s a chore. I wouldn’t work here if I didn’t absolutely love it. So, just because being with you is a part of my job, doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” Link slowly approached the tank until his torso was pressed against it.

Rhett listened intently, nodding slowly, taking in Link’s words. When Link finished speaking, Rhett reached out and cupped his face with his large, green hand.

“Thank you for the explanation, Human Link. I apologize for my actions. You must understand, I could not trust many of my people. I care for you, Human Link, and when I thought you were untrustworthy, I…” Rhett shook his head. “Please, I beg of you, Human Link… Please accept my apology.”

Link felt as if his heart was about to beat right out of his chest. Rhett’s face was so close to his…and his touch… His hand was cool from the water, yet _so_ hot at the same time. Maybe it was Link’s imagination. The strong eye contact was making Link dizzy. Suddenly all of those legends of sailors drowning because of the mermaids didn’t seem so farfetched.

“I… It’s okay, Rhett.” Link stepped back from the tank, almost tripping over himself because of his nerves. “I need to go put my things away and feed the tiger sharks. Please, if... If anyone else comes to talk with you, don’t freak out, okay?”

“I promise that I won’t, Human Link.” Rhett placed his hand over his heart. Or, he placed his hand where the human heart would be. Link silently reminded himself to ask Rhett about his anatomy.

*~*~*~*~*

Once the aquarium was closed to the public, one by one, all of Link’s coworkers left work for the day. The sun was beginning to set when Drew, Link’s boss, walked out of his office and found Link.

“I heard you were still here! You’re usually one of the first ones to leave!” the man chuckled.

“I, uh… Yeah, I’m…” Link stumbled. He had no idea what to say. He didn’t want to lie to his boss, but he wasn’t allowed to move equipment… “Do you mind if I stay late tonight? I…”

“Say no more. We all bring a date to the aquarium once or twice. I understand. I’ll get out of here. Just tell me how it goes.” Drew winked and headed off, briefcase in his hand.

Link’s jaw dropped. That was certainly easier than he expected it to be. Now that he was alone in the facility, he began to gather the equipment. He went back to his locker to retrieve his backpack and pop some popcorn, then headed to the room where the extra electronics were kept. He grabbed some speakers and shoved them in his pack, then found a dusty projector. He carried it to the trout exhibit. Rhett was nowhere to be found. Link assumed he was napping behind the rocks or something.

He removed his laptop and the speakers from his backpack, then proceeded to set everything up. He had also included a white sheet in his pack that morning, as the trout exhibit didn’t have a projector screen nearby. Once he had everything ready to go, he ran back to the employee lounge and retrieved the popcorn. Once he got back, he knocked on the glass of the tank.

Just like earlier, Rhett peeked his head out from behind the rocks. He swam quickly to the surface, and when he saw what Link had put together, gasped. “Human Link! What is all of this!?”

“Everyone else is gone, so we can watch the movie now! I popped us popcorn, too.”

“I do not know what popcorn is, Human Link…” Rhett seemed bashful. It was the first time Link had seen that emotion come from the merman. He liked it. It was cute. The sight was an interesting one—such a massive, commanding creature looking so small and innocent.

“Humans tend to eat it while watching movies. It’s like…a tradition. I don’t know. It’s good, though.” He held out the bowl for Rhett to take a couple of pieces.

As soon as Rhett took a few pieces and began to bring them to his mouth, the water from his hands practically disintegrated the popcorn. He gasped. “What kind of trick is this!?”

“Oh no!” Link pulled his spare t-shirt out of his backpack and used it to dry off Rhett’s hands. “I’m an idiot. You can’t get popcorn wet.”

Rhett chuckled boisterously. The volume of it practically shook Link, who grinned wildly at the sound. “I promise I’ll be careful while eating it, then, Human Link!” Rhett tried a second time to taste the popcorn. This time, he succeeded. “This… This is spectacular!”

“I told you it was good!” Link laughed as Rhett began shoveling fistfuls of the food into his mouth. Much of it crumbed and fell into the water. Link knew he’d have to deal with that in the morning, but he didn’t mind.

Link had expected to share the popcorn with Rhett during the movie, but as soon as Rhett got a hold of it, he knew he wouldn’t get any. He didn’t mind. Seeing how much Rhett loved it was more enjoyable than eating it himself. He put the DVD into his laptop and got the movie started. Rhett was in absolute awe over the moving images. For a while, he didn’t say much.

He finally spoke up when Ariel was asking what the fork and the pipe were. “We have forks,” he scoffed. “I don’t know what that other thing is, though.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Link laughed.

The entire movie, Rhett would say little things regarding how petty Ariel was or things along the lines of, “For the most part, merpeople are friends with sharks…”

Link found each and every comment from Rhett incredibly interesting. He loved learning about the culture he came from—a culture that the human race had never known for certain existed. Once the credits started rolling, Link asked Rhett what he’d thought.

“I found the singing obnoxious.”

“Seriously!?” Link was surprised.

“Yes, but… Human Link, how many movies are there?”

“In existence?” Link raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. How many?”

“I don’t know… Millions, maybe even billions…”

Rhett looked ecstatic. “Can we do this again!?”

Link smiled widely. “Sure, Rhett.”

“You gotta bring popcorn, too.”

“Of course!”

“Can we watch a movie with less singing next time?”

Link chuckled. “Sure. You really didn’t like those parts?”

Rhett shrugged.

“Well, Rhett… I should clean this stuff up now… I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, Human Link. I would assist, however—“

Link laughed again. “Don’t worry about it.”

Rhett swam off behind the rocks again. Link hurried around the aquarium, making sure things were all put away. As he approached the trout exhibit to grab his backpack before leaving, he heard humming. Rhett was humming the song “Under the Sea.”

Link smiled. “Were you trying to act cool when you told me you didn’t like the singing?” he called out, teasing.

Rhett’s head popped out from behind the rocks. “HUMAN LINK! I—“

“It’s okay, Rhett! Everyone loves Disney songs.”

“I… What is Disney, Human Link?”

“The people who made that movie.”

“Do they have another one?”

“Lots!”

Rhett’s face turned a darker shade of green. Link wondered if he was blushing. “Can… Can we watch another one from Disney next time?”

“Sure. I’ll find another good one,” he promised as he left for the night.

Driving home that night, later than he ever had before, Link sighed. The headlights bouncing off of passing objects and the streetlights bathing everything in their orange light, Link felt warm. He felt content. He’d been happy with his job and his friends, but he always felt like something was missing. Some abstract thing that he couldn’t place, no matter how hard he thought about it. But now, that void was what was missing. The only new thing in his life was Rhett—was the merman. As he went to put his keys in his door, Link paused. He hadn’t felt this way since…

Link shook his head.

He wasn’t going to let his head go there.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I left this for so long! I'm probably gonna jump right into writing the next part instead of going back to Tired of Hiding right away, since I'm really excited to continue this right now! :D As always, I greatly appreciate any feedback :D ♥♥♥

Link woke up ten minutes before his shift at the aquarium was supposed to start. He groaned, immediately wishing he was asleep again. His sinuses were congested to the point where he couldn’t breathe out of his nose, his throat felt like sandpaper, and his head was throbbing. He groaned again, rolling over in his bed, and began to fumble for his phone on the bedside table. He found it and unlocked it, the bright screen blinding him momentarily. He hit his boss's name in his contact list.

“Hello, Drew speaking,” the man answered.

“Hey, Drew. It’s Link. I’m sorry, I can’t make it today. I’m totally sick…”

“No worries. I can get somebody to cover you. Feel better soon.”

“Thank you so much.”

Link hung up and immediately dialed Rachel’s number.

“Link! Hey, why aren’t you here yet?” she questioned before he could speak.

“I must’ve come down with something. I—“

“Jesus Christ! You sound terrible!”

Link chuckled, but it was cut short by the painful pressure in his head. “Yeah. I feel terrible.”

“Do you want me to bring you anything?”

“Aren’t you working?”

“Yeah,” Rachel said, “But I can take an early lunch!”

Link crawled out of bed and wobbled to the kitchen where he kept his medicine. “You know, I’d actually appreciate that. I don’t have any cold medicine…”

“I’ll be over soon.”

“Thank you so much.” Link realized as soon as he said this that Rachel had already hung up. He smiled softly. He was really lucky to know her. He began thinking back to their time spent as a couple, and his heart felt a twinge of sadness. Was breaking up a mistake? He sighed. There was more than enough time to worry about that later. She clearly wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Link wandered to his couch and picked up the blanket that had been draped over the back cushions, wrapping it around himself. There was a knock at his door soon after, and as he looked through the peephole, he saw Rachel. He swung open the door and smiled weakly. “Hey.”

She pushed past him into the apartment. “I brought you some drugs,” she joked, handing him a box of Advil Cold and Sinus.

He took it gratefully. “Thank you so much. How’s work going today?”

“Rhett has definitely chilled out. I don’t know what you said to him, but it helped.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad.”

“He still doesn’t like me, though.”

Link frowned, his brows furrowed. “Do you know why?”

“Honestly, I kind of think he’s jealous,” Rachel admitted.

“Jealous of what?” Link asked, wandering into the kitchen to get a glass of tap water to take some medicine with.

“I think he’s jealous of the time we spend together…”

“Really? All he knows about is that one time we went to lunch.”

Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I’m just getting that vibe from him. Who knows, though. I certainly don’t know how the mind of a merman works,” she chuckled.

“Too true.”

“Do you need anything else, babe?”

Link laughed. “You haven’t called me ‘babe’ in a while.”

Rachel blushed. “I can’t help it when you look so helpless.”

Link pulled the woman in for a long hug. She squealed, “EW! GERMS!”

Link squeezed her tighter, yelling, “TAKE MY GERMS, WOMAN!”

Giggles ensued, but Link let go. “You jerk,” Rachel replied, still laughing softly.

After a moment of silence, Link muttered, “I miss…us.”

“You know, Link… I do too. If you ever want to get back together, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Link had no idea why, but his mind flashed back to Rhett at the aquarium. The man also felt a pang of anxiety—the feeling that he was missing out on something. But… Why would his head associate those feelings with the merman back at the aquarium? “I…”

“Link, I didn’t mean to upset you,” Rachel said, noticing the troubled look on Link’s face.

“No, no. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll definitely always keep that in mind. I love you, Rachel. I really fucking do. But…”

“I know, Link. I know.” Rachel smiled, wrapping Link’s weak, sick body in her embrace. “I gotta get back to work now, though. You get better soon, okay?”

“I’ll try my best.” Link kissed the woman gently on the top of her head. “Thanks again for the drugs,” he laughed.

“You’re welcome.”

As Rachel turned to leave the apartment, Link asked, “Hey, will you tell Rhett that I’m sick?”

“Yeah, I’ll explain why you’re not there.”

“Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome again,” she laughed, walking out and closing the door behind her.

Link laid down on the couch and turned on the television. He struggled to pay attention to whatever show was on at the time, but ended up dozing off. For the next few days, Link spent his time either asleep or wishing he was asleep. It wasn’t until a full week later that he began feeling better. He called work to let them know he was finally feeling well enough to come in and began getting ready. He quickly put on his uniform and packed a lunch. He made sure to put cold medication in his backpack and wads of tissues in his pockets before hopping in the car and driving to the aquarium.

When Link got to work, his coworkers all welcomed him back with excitement, but joked that they wouldn’t get to close to him, since it was obvious that he was still sick. He was definitely moving slower than usual. When he finally got his backpack into his locker, he walked slowly to the trout exhibit. Rhett was laying on the large rock, completely out of the water. Link assumed he was enjoying the warm morning sunshine.

“Hey, Rhett,” Link called, his voice still lower and slightly hoarse from his cold.

Rhett opened his eyes and turned his head. When he saw Link, he gasped. “Human Link!? Where have you been!?” He used his strong arms to pull himself from the rock and into the water. He gracefully swam to the edge of the tank where Link was standing, twisting and turning through the water on his way there. When he popped his head out of the tank, his nose was practically touching Link’s.

“I’ve been sick.”

“You sound weird!”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m sick,” Link repeated with a chuckle.

“I’ve missed you.” Rhett reached his hand up and cupped the side of Link’s face.

Link gasped at the touch and the seriousness of Rhett’s tone. “I… I missed you too, Rhett.” After a long, awkward silence, Link said, “Uh, so what have you been working on while I’ve been gone? Anything?”

Rhett pulled his hand back into the water and shrugged. “They wanted me to do tricks,” he practically spat. “But I convinced them to let me answer questions instead.”

“That’s good!” Link remembered that he’d made a promise to Rhett that the aquarium wouldn’t force him to do anything demeaning, and he was glad that so far, the promise was being kept.

“Yeah, but they want me to hold this…” He swam off quickly, his tail splashing water onto Link’s red polo shirt. Link didn’t mind. When Rhett came back, he was holding a large, plastic trident.

Link chuckled. “Seriously?”

“Yes, I recognize it since you showed me The Little Mermaid. The king was holding it. But…” Rhett looked around, making sure nobody was within ear shot. Just to be safe, he got closer to Link and whispered, “But, Human Link… I’m not the king.”

Link laughed boisterously, which hurt his throat. He didn’t mind, though. “So, you’re finally admitting that you’re not royalty?” he teased.

Still whispering, Rhett replied, “Human Link, none of the other humans know that! You mustn’t reveal—“

Link grinned. “Don’t worry, buddy. I won’t tell anyone that you don’t rule the ocean.”

“Are you mocking me?” Rhett pushed off from the wall of the tank, moving slowly backwards.

“Nope!”

Link suddenly noticed how grimy the tank had become since he’d been gone. Had nobody kept up with the cleaning? He sighed. The tank was deep enough that it went below the ground, but since diving with a cold was a huge no-no, Link knew he couldn’t clean it himself. He thought for a moment.

“Hey, Rhett?” He called.

“Yes, Human Link?” Rhett responded, slightly distracted by the trout swimming around him, bumping into his tail.

“Would you mind helping me clean the algae off the side of the tank?”

“Of course not! I would love to help!” Rhett lit up. “I am honored that you are asking me!”

Link laughed. “Okay, just let me get the equipment!”

Cleaning the tank was going to be much easier now that one of the creatures in it was willing to help. Rhett could scrub the deeper parts of the tank walls as well as the floor while Link stuck to the top. He went to the locker room to change into his wetsuit.  L ink was always uncomfortable with changing in the locker rooms, even though he was close with everyone on his shift. Luckily, there was nobody changing when he got to his locker, so he quickly undressed. He was completely nude when a loud voice echoed throughout the empty, tiled room.

“BOO!”

Link nearly jumped out of his skin. He covered his crotch with his wetsuit and spun around, seeing Rachel behind him. She was laughing hysterically.

“Jesus, Rachel! Was that necessary!?” Now that Link relaxed a bit, he started laughing with relief.

“Not at all, baby! I saw you walk in here and I was confused. You know you’re not supposed to dive when you have a cold…”

“I know. The trout tank is getting kinda gross, though. I’m not really diving, I’m just gonna clean the top part. Rhett actually agreed to help me with the deep stuff.” Link turned around so that his back was to Rachel and began stepping into the wetsuit.

“Hold on… Don’t move,” she insisted.

Link froze. “What is it?”

Rachel laughed. “I haven’t gotten to see that cute booty in months. I miss it.” She patted Link’s ass gently.

Link blushed furiously. “You done?”

“Yeah I’m done.” She apologized, only half kidding.

Link quickly pulled his wetsuit up and zipped it. “But yeah, Rhett’s helping me clean. I’m kind of excited. I have somebody to help me for once.” He grabbed his diving fins and slammed his locker closed.

“You really like Rhett, don’t you?” Rachel asked as they began walking out of the locker room.

“What? I mean, of course. We’re friends. Why?” He turned to look at Rachel, who was looking back with a skeptical raised eyebrow. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Link laughed nervously.

“Meh. It’s nothing.”

“What!?”

“Nothing!” Rachel insisted.

Link knew she was keeping something to herself. He sighed. “Okay, whatever.” He started walking faster.

“Link, I’m sorry. I didn’t—“

“No, it’s fine. I should really get back to work.”

He walked faster, leaving Rachel behind. He stopped at the storage locker to retrieve the cleaning supplies before running back to the trout exhibit. Rhett was waiting patiently, his arms crossed and resting on the top of the tank wall.

“You took a while!” he called out as Link approached.

“Yeah, it did,” he grumbled. The question Rachel had asked him really struck a nerve, and he wasn’t even entirely sure why. Link really did love Rhett. He was loud and obnoxious at times, but deep down, he was a sensitive sweetheart. Link had no idea why Rhett had sort of chosen him as the one person he “trusted,” as he liked to say. From that first Monday when Link had met Rhett for the first time, Rhett had refused to talk to anyone but Link. Link would occasionally wonder why that was, but he didn’t like to dwell on things. Link’s heart suddenly felt heavy. Before he could acknowledge the sudden emotion change, he felt a light misting of water on his face.

He snapped out of his trancelike state and looked up. Rhett was gently splashing him. “Link? You okay? Are we gonna clean or not?”

Link shook the thoughts from his head. “Yeah, sorry. Gosh.”

“What’s wrong, Link?” Rhett asked, holding out a hand.

Link stared at the outreached hand, wondering what Rhett meant by it. Did he want to hold hands? Link cautiously grasped the merman’s damp hand in his own. Rhett raised an eyebrow and tugged. Link let go. 

“What are you doing?” Rhett questioned.

“Huh? I… I thought--”

“I’m pulling you in! C’mon!” 

“Oh… Oh, sorry. I… Gosh.” Link was sure he was blushing. Why the fuck would Rhett want to hold hands? Why were these emotions flooding him so suddenly? He fumbled with the supplies and climbed up over the edge of the tank wall before carefully putting on his fins. 

“Wow, Human Link! Humans have developed fins for themselves?” Rhett questioned, amazed as Link slipped on his gear. 

Link couldn’t help but smile at Rhett’s reaction. “Yeah, we have fake fins we can wear.”

“Well, what should I clean? I’ll get to work right away!” Rhett placed his hands on his hips and flexed, showing off how truly determined he was to help Link--maybe trying to show off a little bit of himself, as well.

Link smiled and handed Rhett a brush. “I think we’re only gonna clean the glass today. I can’t really dive, since I still have a cold, but--”

“You’re cold?” Rhett looked concerned. “Human Link, you should warm yourself up! I saw somebody walk by earlier with a...a...I think somebody called it a sweater… You should get a sweater!”

Link laughed. “No, Rhett. If somebody says they ‘have a cold,’ it means they’re sick.”

Rhett raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re not cold?”

“Nope.”

“Okay. I apologize for my ignorance.”

“No need,” Link grinned. “What I was saying was, I figured you can clean the lower part of the glass, where I can’t get to while holding my breath.”

“That sounds perfect, Human Link! I shall get right to work!” 

Link grabbed the second brush and slipped himself into the tank. Holding on to the edge, he pulled himself along, scrubbing clean as low as he could reach. After about five minutes, he reached the other end of the tank. It was time to make an attempt at holding his breath and cleaning--something he’d never done before. It’d probably take ten times as long compared to when he had an oxygen tank, but if he got too tired, he knew Rhett would be more than happy to clean the entire thing himself. 

Link inhaled deeply before submerging himself in the water. Before beginning to scrub again, he looked down, watching Rhett. The merman was getting through his work extremely quickly. Gracefully twisting and turning through the clear blue water, the light bouncing off his glistening tail and his short, lime green hair flowing as he swam, the sight was a stunning one. Before Link had even began to scrub the tank, he ran out of air. He kicked his legs and resurfaced, taking a few deep breaths. Rhett was a truly magnificent creature. Link wasn’t quite as stunned as he had been the first time he’d met the merman, but he was still taken aback. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get over the intense beauty of Rhett’s figure--his strong, yet not overly muscular body, his long tail expertly propelling him through his environment, and not to mention those intense greens and blues that covered his entire body… Link shook his head. He needed to stop thinking like that. He needed to stop admiring Rhett’s physicality and start doing his job. He suddenly sneezed, the force of the action dunking his face into the water. Link hadn’t noticed that Rhett had surfaced. When Link, stunned, wiped his nose on his arm, he heard Rhett laughing behind him.

“Ohohohoho,” the merman chuckled. “That was extremely cute, Human Link!” Rhett was grinning.

Link could only imagine how red his face was--it was almost painful how much it burned. His heart fluttered. Rhett’s choice of words was like a slap to the face. Link wasn’t sure what to think. “Did you finish cleaning?” Link asked, choosing to ignore Rhett’s comment.

“I did! From the looks of it, you haven’t done anything…”

“I can’t swim like you can!” Link responded, his tone defensive. 

Rhett swam closer. Link shuddered, a tingle shooting through his body when he felt the merman’s muscular tail brush up against his leg. Rhett smiled. “I’ll gladly do the rest, as well, Human Link.” 

“No, you don’t--”

“You said you’re still sick. You shouldn’t have to do chores while you’re sick. Let me finish. Please?” Rhett sounded like he was begging.

Link sighed. If Rhett really wanted to finish that badly, he’d let him. “Okay. Thanks.”

Rhett reached a hand out, cupping the side of Link’s face. He gently rubbed his cheek with his thumb. Link’s heart felt like it was about to beat right out of his chest. He couldn’t look away from Rhett’s gaze--his eyes were the same shade of green that his hair was. “Thank you, Human Link.” 

“Uh… um…” Link stuttered, unable to find words. He pulled himself up onto the edge of the tank so only his feet were in the water. “I should, uh… I should go change into my normal uniform again.”

“Wait, can I ask to see something, first?” Rhett let go of the brush, which floated down to the bottom of the tank. 

“What?” 

Rhett grabbed Link’s left foot and removed the fin, tossing it out of the tank. “I’ve never felt feet before! I’ve always wanted to know what they felt like!” the merman admitted. 

Link let Rhett caress his foot, unsure of how to react. Rhett gently pulled each of Link’s toes one by one. Link watched Rhett's expression carefully--it was funny how enthralled he was. He was lifting and turning Link’s foot, trying to study every angle. When he finally let go, Link asked him, “Satisfied?”

Rhett shot down under the water and retrieved the brush he had dropped. He allowed just his head to resurface. His face was a dark shade of green--just like it had been the night they were watching the movie, when Link thought maybe he was blushing. Now, he was almost certain that the merman was blushing. “I will finish with the cleaning, Human Link. Don’t, um… Don’t worry about waiting around.” Rhett sounded deeply embarrassed.

Link raised a questioning eyebrow. “Um, okay… I’ve got to feed the sharks, but I’ll be back to get the brush later.”

“Goodbye!” Rhett said in a rush before darting back under the water to continue to scrub.

Link watched for a moment before hopping onto the concrete. He took off his remaining fin and slipped on his flip flops before heading back to the locker room to change and dry off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of smut in this part... Things are starting to heat up a little bit! :) 
> 
> As always, feedback is GREATLY APPRECIATED!! ♥♥♥ Thanks for reading!

After a long day of cleaning tanks, preparing food, and feeding the animals, Link was exhausted and finally getting ready to go home for the night. The guests had all been gone for almost two hours, and most of the employees had already clocked out—the only people left at the aquarium were Link, Rachel, and Drew. Link sighed as he slammed his locker shut and swung his backpack across his shoulder. He had finished all of his responsibilities for the day, but he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay and hang out with Rhett. He hadn’t spent as much time with him as usually did during his shifts. Even just thinking about the merman made Link’s heart flutter—he couldn’t help but smile. “What’s wrong with me?” he thought to himself.

He gave into his urge and took the long way to the exit, stopping by the trout exhibit before leaving. The sun had set over an hour ago, so the area was very dark. He couldn’t see Rhett in the water anywhere. “Rhett?” he called out. “Rhett, I’m leaving for the night!” His words were met with silence.

He was about to give up and leave, the cold wash of disappointment flooding his system, when something caught his eye. A glowing, luminous substance had appeared in the water. The bright blue…stuff…flowed through the water, drawing closer to the area where Link was standing. He kneeled so that he was at eye level with the bioluminescence, squinting to focus. It was…strangely beautiful. Link moved a couple of steps to his left, and it followed. What the hell was that stuff? He stepped a few steps to his right, and it followed him again. It was seemingly moving through the water consciously trying to reach him. Link shook his head. He had to be imaging that. It was probably just the trout moving the water and forcing the substance to move. Had this stuff been in the water the entire time, but nobody noticed because it hadn’t been dark outside?

“Rhett?” Link called out again. “Rhett, are you okay?” He was slightly worried. What if… What if the blood of merpeople glowed like this? What if Rhett had gotten injured? Link knew that he was probably overthinking things, and allowing himself to jump to the worst possible conclusion, but—

His worried thoughts were interrupted when Rhett popped out from behind the boulders in the back of the tank. Link couldn’t quite make out his face, but from what he could see, the merman looked nervous.

“Rhett, are you okay?” Link asked again.

Rhett responded with a quick “Yep!” before darting back behind the rocks.

Link raised a questioning eyebrow. What’s up with him? Link stared at the luminous substance for a moment longer, deciding that he needed to collect a sample of this stuff before leaving. He jogged to the small lab at the aquarium, finding a specimen cup. He ran back to the tank, scooping up some of the substance into the small plastic jar. He left the cup on the desk of one of the lab workers, writing a quick note to them explaining what he’d found and asking if they could determine what it was.

*~*~*

Link turned his head to the left, not lifting it from his pillow. He glanced at the glowing red digital clock. The numbers read 2:24. He grumbled a bunch of nonsense, feeling like the clock was mocking him. He hadn’t slept the slightest bit that night. His mind wouldn’t let him relax—his subconscious kept forcing images of Rhett into the forefront of his mind. Along with the images came some sort of a mixture of pleasant, warm, and uncomfortable emotions. He sighed. He needed a distraction.

He reached for his phone and sent a quick text to Rachel. “You up?”

He was shocked to see the three dots indicating that she was typing a reply. A brief moment later, her response came through with a ding. “Yep! Sup?”

Link sighed. He bit his lip, considering what it was that he wanted to say. He trusted Rachel more than anybody, but being honest about his emotions with her—with anyone—would always be a difficult thing. He was just raised to think that as a man, you were to keep that kind of thing to yourself. He took a deep, calming breath, choosing to be honest. “Feelin’ kinda lonely. I’d like some company.”

“Company?” She sent a winky emoji along with the text. “I’ll come over if you want……”

Link sat up and flicked on the light. He thought hard for a minute. This…this wouldn’t mean that they’d be a couple again, right? Link was expecting a simple conversation. He was expecting a quick distraction that might keep his mind off of Rhett long enough to fall asleep. But what Rachel was proposing was… Well, there was nothing wrong with a couple of adults blowing off some steam, right? “One time thing?” he asked her.

“Sure thing, baby. Be there in a sec!” Rachel sent another wink.

Link smiled nervously. He wasn’t sure why he felt so anxious about this. He’d been with Rachel countless times before. They had lived together, for fuck’s sake. Something about being with her now, though, felt…odd. He put it out of his mind, having faith that a quick hookup would tire him out enough for him to be able to get some sleep.

There was a knock on his apartment door not long after the last text message was sent. Link sighed deeply before working up the courage to greet her.

“Hey!” Rachel said with a bright grin.

“Uh, h—hey,” Link stuttered.

“Aaaw, babe, why do you sound so nervous?” she teased, stepping inside.

“I’m sorry,” Link blushed, running his fingers through his hair. “I honestly don’t know. I’m just… Well, this wasn’t what I was expecting to happen when I texted you.”

“If I’m being perfectly honest, I had one of your nudes pulled up when you texted me.”

“What!?” Link gasped.

Rachel’s eyes widened. “That’s—that’s okay with you, right!? That I didn’t delete those after—“

“Oh, gosh. That’s… Yeah, wow. That’s okay, I guess. I still can’t believe I sent you those…”

Rachel giggled at how flustered Link had become. “Well, are we gonna do this, or not? I was almost finished before you texted,” she laughed, leaving Link and heading towards his bedroom. Link took a steadying breath before following her.

“Sorry, I’m just… We haven’t done this in a long time.”

Rachel stood on her toes to kiss Link gently on the cheek. “I know. It’s okay.” She rubbed his bicep soothingly. “Lie down, baby.”

Link silently did as he was told. He could already feel a stirring in his boxer-briefs in response to the anticipation. Link watched as Rachel peeled off her baggy tee and her sweatpants, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Still in her bra and underwear, she climbed over Link, placing a hand on either side of his head.

“I’ve missed seeing you like this,” she admitted quietly.

“I, uh… I…” Link struggled to find words.

“You want to do this, right?” Rachel asked softly, a slight look of concern on her face.

“Yeah… Yeah, I do…”

“Then just relax and enjoy yourself.”

She started grinding her hips down against Link’s crotch, immediately causing him to moan. “Oh, gosh...”

“You like that, baby?” Rachel leaned down, leaving soft kisses against Link’s neck and jawbone. “You ready?”

Link’s crotch was suddenly begging for attention. He certainly wasn’t expecting this outcome when he’d texted Rachel earlier, but he definitely wasn’t complaining. It’d been a really long time since he’d gotten any action. “Yeah, I… Fuck.”

Rachel yanked Link’s underwear down. “I always know I’m doing a good job when I make you, a good Christian boy, start cussing.”

Link couldn’t help but chuckle. He was now completely exposed. Rachel, without removing her panties, moved the fabric to the side and lowered herself onto Link. Both adults threw their heads back and moaned loudly. Link gently placed his hands on Rachel’s thighs, watching her face intently as she began bouncing up and down. Grinding down, her jaw hung open, her blonde hair falling into her face. She had clearly already been extremely worked up before coming over, as she was already near the edge. She began running her hands all over Link’s chest, muttering, “God, you’re so fucking sexy.” It didn’t take Link long to catch up with her—his breathing becoming erratic as a warm ball of pressure began growing in his lower abdomen. Link couldn’t help but sit up, flipping Rachel over onto her back. He buried his face into her neck, kissing the soft skin between gasps. Panting, both of them started muttering soft curses under their breaths, careful to be as quiet as possible for the neighbors on the other side of the wall. Things were going perfectly until suddenly, and without warning, an image popped into Link’s head that he wasn’t expecting—an image that disturbed him. Just as suddenly as the image had shown up, Link burst into tears.

Rachel gasped. “Link!? Oh my God, what’s wrong!?”

She unwrapped her legs from his waist and sat up. Link was sobbing now, gasping for air and hiccuping.

“Link, baby, what happened!? Did I do something? Talk to me!” She pulled his underwear up before directing him to rest his head in her lap. She began rubbing soft, soothing circles on his back.

“I… I think I have a crush on Rhett…”

Rachel was silent for a moment, searching for an appropriate response. “Link, I… I mean… I’m sure he’s super nice, and don’t even get me started on those arms, but…”

“You don’t have to tell me. I know. He’s half fucking fish, Rachel. He lives in a fucking tank. What the fuck is wrong with me!? We separated because I wanted to experience guys and the only guy I’ve crushed on has been a fucking merman. I haven’t even admitted it to myself until literally just now, Rachel. I was so close to finishing until my stupid head decided to show me him and I… Oh my God. I’m so disgusting.”

“Shhhh, Link. It’s okay. I agree he’s attractive, and I don’t know him like you do, but you two seem really close. I… If I’m being honest, this doesn’t totally surprise me...”

“But it’s not like we can be together! And not just for one reason, either! I can’t believe I’m talking like this…”

“Link, I certainly can’t give you any advice that I’ve gained from experience, but… I think you should just acknowledge that these feelings exist and…and just ride them out. I’m sure it won’t last. It’ll be okay. You can always admire him aesthetically. There’s nothing wrong with that!”

“It’s more than that, though! I can’t stop thinking about him. That’s why I couldn’t sleep tonight. I always feel…off…when I’m not at that tank talking to him. When I’m not with him, I’m wishing that I was.”

Rachel sighed. “You’ve, uh… You’ve really got it bad right now, don’t you?”

“I think so,” Link sobbed.

The two adults stayed in place for about an hour, Link trying his best to calm himself down and to stop crying, and Rachel rubbing his back and running her fingers through his hair. When Link finally calmed down, he muttered, “I’m so sorry. I ruined two orgasms for you tonight.”

Rachel laughed. “You don’t need to apologize. If you ever need to just talk to somebody and cry it out, you can call me any time.”

“I love you so much, Rachel.”

“I know, baby. I love you too. Why don’t we get under the covers and sleep, and ditch work tomorrow to go surfing? We can talk about this more then.”

“We haven’t done that in while,” Link smiled, still sniffling. “But I already missed a ton of work because of my cold…”

“Well, maybe we can ditch until lunch. Drew won’t care. I’d suggest we wake up before sunrise and drive out there, but I don’t think it’d be safe with such little sleep.”

Link sat up and pulled Rachel into a tight embrace. “You’re the best, you know that?”

“I do, actually.” She winked before laying back down, patting the space next to her. “Turn off the light. We need to sleep.”

Link turned the knob on the lamp, the room turning pitch black. He pulled the covers up to his chin and wrapped Rachel in his arms, kissing her deeply before resting his head on her chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a really long part to (hopefully) make up for the really long wait!!! 
> 
> As always, feedback is greatly, GREATLY appreciated, so let me know what you think!! :D ♥♥

Link was gradually returning to consciousness as someone shook his shoulder. Still extremely groggy from sleep, he was confused as to why somebody was in his bed. He opened his heavy eyelids to see Rachel bathed in the morning sunlight, her long, blonde hair sticking up in all directions and a small smile on her face. Memories of the night before came rushing back to Link. He rolled over onto his back and groaned, covering his face with a pillow. He felt ashamed of everything he had admitted the night before. 

“Good morning,” Rachel laughed, swinging a leg over Link’s waist so she was straddling him. “I would’ve let you sleep longer, but if we don’t get moving now, we won’t have time to go surfing…”

When Link didn’t move or say anything, Rachel hesitantly lifted the pillow from his face. She thought maybe he’d fallen asleep again, but when the pillow was gone, Link was staring back at her, frowning. “I’m sorry about last night,” he whispered, his embarrassment made obvious by his tone.

“Link,” Rachel cooed, cupping his face with her right hand. “It’s okay, there’s nothing to be sorry about. You needed that…” 

Link closed his eyes and turned his head to the side, sighing. “Thanks, Rachel. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve somebody as amazing as you…” He placed his hands on her thighs, caressing them gently. 

Rachel leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Link’s temple before saying, “We really do need to get up if we’re still going surfing…” 

“Okay,” Link said, smiling and retrieving his glasses from the nightstand. “Just let me eat some Mini Wheats and we can get going.”

After getting ready quickly, Link grabbed his car keys, wetsuit, and surfboard and headed to the parking garage of his apartment complex with Rachel following closely behind. They made a quick stop at her apartment so she could grab her own items, then drove straight to their favorite surfing spot. Considering it was a Tuesday morning, the usually quiet beach was empty when they arrived. Link was relieved. He really hated changing into his wetsuit with strangers around. He was also extremely grateful to be able to enjoy the scenery and Rachel’s company without any outside distractions. There was no risk of anyone overhearing any comments about Rhett’s existence (something that had still not been made public outside of the marine biology circle), or worse, Link’s crush on him. As Link was still admiring the gentle waves in the distance, Rachel was already changing. She coughed to get his attention, and when he turned, he was surprised to see her completely nude. 

“You gonna change?” she teased. 

“Are you gonna put your wetsuit on?” Link responded, laughing. 

“I’ll wait for you to catch up.” 

Link raised his eyebrows and smirked, Rachel winking at him. “You’re such a flirt…” Link removed his Spiderman t-shirt and stepped out of his cargo shorts. He hesitated a moment before dropping his boxer-briefs to the ground and placing them in the trunk of the car with the rest of their clothing. Standing there out in public, completely naked with Rachel by his side was strangely nice. Link was never comfortable undressing around other people, but being there in nature… Link’s introspective thoughts were cut short when Rachel brought her hands to her face and made a camera shutter noise with her mouth, miming taking a photo of Link’s body. 

“Really!?” Link chuckled and began stepping into his wetsuit. 

“I’d ask if I could take an actual picture, but I know you’d say no,” she explained, beginning to pull on her own wetsuit. “You standing there with the ocean as the background… You’re gorgeous, Link. Ya know that?”

Link blushed. The only two people currently in his life that could do that to him were Rhett and the woman standing before him. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

Soon enough, the two were wading out into the chilly water, laughing and shrieking in response to the temperature. They quickly raised themselves onto their boards and paddled further out. Rachel was quick to to stand, but Link stayed on his belly, enjoying how the gentle waves were raising and lowering him. He looked out at the blue horizon, realizing that he was now in Rhett’s natural environment. A wave of sadness and guilt washed over him. Where was Rhett’s family...his friends…? Did they know where he was? Link sighed, letting his hand drag along beside him in the water. He wished Rhett was there with him… Link laid his head onto his board and closed his eyes, focusing on the gentle rocking that the water was causing, allowing his mind to wander. His imagination took over, and soon enough, Link was letting himself imagine that he was laying on top of Rhett, who was floating on his back and holding him in his arms. They were enjoying the warmth of the sun together, the rest of the world an unimportant haze. The only important thing was each other.   
“Link?” Rachel’s voice gently brought Link back into reality.

“Hmmm?” he mumbled, opening his eyes.

“You haven’t stood once. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, sitting upright. “I’m just thinking…” 

“About what?”

Link blushed and looked back to the horizon. 

“Oh, okay. I gotcha,” Rachel nodded, paddling closer. She grabbed ahold of Link’s arm so she wouldn’t float away from him. “Do you, um… Do you want to talk about it?”

Link crossed his arms and stayed silent for a moment. “Do you, um… Okay, ethically speaking, do you think Rhett should be at the aquarium?” 

Rachel sighed. “Well, I think it’s complicated. But Rhett’s not like the other creatures at the aquarium… He can speak for himself…”

“But if he said he wanted to leave, do you really think they’d let him go?” Link was upsetting himself more and more the longer he thought about the issue.

“Link, does he seem happy to you?” 

“I mean, yeah…” 

“Then that’s all you should worry about for right now.”

Link ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ve been a downer lately, haven’t I?” He laughed half-heartedly.

“Honestly?” Rachel teased, “Kinda.”

Link playfully hit her arm. Their laughter died down a moment later, and when it did, Link spoke, shaking his head softly. “Rachel, I… I’m so confused.”

“I know, Link. I know.”

Link looked up and studied the woman’s face. Her expression showed a deep, loving concern for what he was going through. Rachel was absolutely gorgeous, and he loved her more than anyone else in the world. Sure, he had a crush on Rhett, but… Link had a history with Rachel. A long history. But,  _ Rhett… _ Rhett was a new, exciting experience. The feelings he had for Rhett were unlike anything he’d experienced before...unlike anything  _ anyone  _ had experienced before. If it weren’t for these blossoming feelings for the merman, Link would’ve asked Rachel to move back in with him right then and there. She was caring. She was funny. She was safe. She was everything Link wanted. But, Rhett… 

Link sighed deeply. Before he could speak, Rachel muttered, “You really can’t get him out of your head, can you?”

Link’s throat tightened up. He could feel tears fighting their way out, and he tried to hold them back, but he couldn’t. “I couldn’t have just found a nice guy at a bar, could I?” Link half laughed through his tears.

Rachel wrapped her arm around Link’s shoulder and pulled him closer. He rested his head on her shoulder. They sat like that, staring into the horizon, for what felt like hours. In reality, it was only a couple of minutes. Rachel’s stomach growled loudly, drawing them both back to reality. She placed a hand on her stomach and smiled bashfully.

“Sorry, I’m hungry.”

Link looked up, figuring based on the position of the sun in the sky that it was nearing noon. “We should be getting to work soon, anyway. Wanna stop by In-N-Out on the way?”

“Sounds great. Are you… Are you gonna be okay today?”

“Yeah,” Link nodded as they began to paddle back to shore. “This might sound dumb, but… I think being with Rhett is gonna help the most right now.”

“Honestly, I know the feeling.”

“Yeah?” Link absentmindedly responded.

“Mmmhmm.. That’s how I felt when I met you.”

Link blushed for what felt like the millionth time in the last few days. 

*~*~*~*

The line at In-N-Out was much longer than Link and Rachel had anticipated, so they arrived at work as soon as their lunch break was ending. Link kissed Rachel on the cheek, thanking her for being with him through his “meltdown,” as he called it. He took his own bag of food and headed towards the trout exhibit. Rhett was floating on his back in the water, his arms outstretched and his eyes closed. The sun danced across the scales of his long tail, reflecting shades of blues and greens onto the surface of the water and walls of the tank. Link could see the merman’s chest slowly rising and falling as he breathed deeply. He assumed he was sleeping, so he just sat on the bench closest to the tank and removed his burger from the takeout bag. Rhett opened his left eye and saw his visitor. 

“Human Link!” he shouted, rushing to the edge of the tank. “You should’ve been here--” 

“Hey, Rhett…” Link began. Why did Rhett stop mid-sentence? 

Rhett raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You smell like the ocean… Where were you?”

The comment surprised Link. “You can smell that from all the way over there?” When Rhett didn’t respond, Link answered him. “Rachel and I went surfing this morning.”

Rhett squinted his eyes. “Human Link, are you and Rachel…?”

Link suddenly felt like he had done something wrong. “Are we  _ what _ , Rhett?” he questioned, gulping. 

It was as if Rhett’s train of thought immediately went in a completely different direction. He perked up and pointed to the burger in Link’s hand. “What is that, Human Link?”

It took Link a moment to catch up with Rhett’s brain. “Uh… Oh… Oh, it’s a burger… Um… It’s beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and uh…” Link started trying to remember everything that was in the burger.

“Well, I don’t know what any of that is, but does it taste good?” Rhett made a grabbing motion with his hand, signalling that he wanted a taste.

Link chuckled. “Rhett, I…” He looked around to check if anyone was nearby. He saw a couple of his coworkers in the hallway a few feet away, so he approached the tank and lowered his voice. “I really shouldn’t feed you anything. I could get in trouble…”

Rhett pouted over-dramatically and began trying to grab at the burger. “Just one little bite? After the popcorn you gave me, I am very interested in trying more human food!”

How could Link resist that? He sighed, giving in. Link ripped a chunk of the burger off, making sure it had a little bit of all the ingredients. “Open your mouth. If you touch it with your wet hands, you’ll wreck it.”

Rhett did as he was told, closing his eyes and opening his mouth as wide as he could. Link smiled at the sight. A giant, obviously powerful creature was grasping the wall in front of him, eyes closed and mouth open, fully submitting to him. It was… It was cute. And Link was finally willing to admit it to himself. He pushed the piece of his burger into Rhett’s mouth. The merman’s eyes opened wide as he chewed. 

“Hold on. While we’re doing this, you should taste a French fry, too…” Link went back to his bag and picked up a fry. Rhett opened his mouth again, and Link gave it to him.

“Human Link, these taste magnificent!” he bellowed. 

“Link, what are you doing!?” Drew’s voice echoed from behind him.

Link winced, turning around slowly. “I, um… I just…” How was Link going to explain this? He obviously knew that he wasn’t supposed to feed Rhett, but he did anyway. “I’m sorry, I…”

“Link, you know you’re not supposed to feed the animals! Jesus… What if he gets sick!?” Drew practically yelled. “I… I’m pulling you from this exhibit.”

“What!?” Link gasped. “No, Drew. Please, I… Please, no!”

“Link, if you can’t follow basic procedure...”

“HUMAN DREW!” Rhett’s voice boomed. Link and Drew both jumped at the volume. 

“Uh, y--yes?” Drew was in shock. Rhett hadn’t spoken to him once.

“Human Link is my companion here. If you take him away from me, I will not perform. I will refuse to participate in anything you ask me to. Link specifically told me he wasn’t supposed to give me human food, but I insisted. Do not blame him.”

“I… Um…” Drew wasn’t sure how to respond. Link just blushed at Rhett’s use of the word ‘companion.’ 

“Human Drew, think about this carefully,” Rhett warned, his volume rising again. 

Drew turned to Link, eyes as wide as saucers. “I, uh… Wow. Um… I’m sorry, Link. Just… Don’t do it again…” Drew turned and walked off as if he was in a daze. 

“Uh, wow… Thanks, Rhett,” Link muttered, facing the merman again.

“You are very welcome, Human Link. I couldn’t stand the thought of having to work with a different human. Can I have another… What did you call it? French fry?” 

Link giggled. “One more, Rhett. I don’t know if you yelling at him will work a second time.” Link fed Rhett a second, smaller fry before sitting on the bench again and continuing his meal. 

“Human food tastes a lot better than what merpeople eat,” Rhett mused.

Link realized he hadn’t seen Rhett eat once since he’d been working with him. “Hey, Rhett? I remember you saying you didn’t really like kelp and that you hunted, but… What do you eat exactly?”

Rhett smiled, perking up. He seemed to be honored that Link would ask him about his life in the sea. “Usually just any small fish I can catch. When I feel bad about that, though, I settle for kelp. I, uh…” Rhett suddenly looked incredibly guilty.

“What is it?” Link questioned him.

“I may have eaten one of the trout last night…” 

“What!?” Link started choking on a French fry. “Are you serious!? Why!?”

“It was in the middle of the night, and I ate a small meal when I was fed last. I apologize.” 

Link couldn’t help but laugh at what he was hearing. “It’s um… It’s okay, just don’t do it again. I’m sure if you ask for more food the next time, they’ll give it to you.”

Rhett nodded. He was suddenly focused on something going on behind Link. Link was about to speak again but Rhett held a finger up to his lips, silently asking Link to be quiet. After a moment, he turned back to Link and asked, “You went to the beach with Rachel this morning, correct?”

“Um, yeah…” Link wasn’t sure why Rhett was asking him. 

“Did you spend the night together?” The merman’s face was cold. His expression was so intense that it was frightening. 

Link’s blood ran cold. “Um… What… What do you mean?”

“Your coworkers were discussing your relationship with her.”

“What!?” Link turned around to look at where Rhett had been watching a moment earlier. Sure enough, out of earshot, two of his coworkers were standing together, talking about something. “Can you hear what they’re saying?” 

Rhett nodded, but repeated his question. “Did you spend the night together?”

“She, um…” Link’s mind flashed back to his failed hookup with Rachel. He didn’t want to lie to Rhett, but there was no way he could admit to what had happened. “She slept at my place, yes…”

“Are you two copulating?” Rhett pressed further.

“Why would you ask me that!?” Link’s face was turning crimson. 

“Your coworkers were speculating, and I too am curious.” 

“Rhett, we, um…” Link uncomfortably rubbed his neck, trying to come up with a response. “Not anymore. It’s… It’s really complicated.” He was beginning to tremble, his nerves getting the best of him. Why was Rhett questioning him, and why did he look so intense? Link’s anxiety suddenly surged, worse than it had in months. He could feel tears starting to well. He still felt ashamed because of what had happened with Rachel the night before, and Rhett floating in front of him, seemingly interrogating him over it, was too much.

Rhett clearly sensed the distress Link was in. He reached out his hand and, in a much softer tone, said, “Human Link? What is wrong? Did something happen?”

“Rachel and I...stopped being a couple...a while ago, Rhett,” Link sighed.

“You two certainly  _ act _ like a couple,” Rhett scoffed. When Link met his gaze with an unamused look, the merman apologized. “Am I misunderstanding human relationships?”

Link shook his head, staring at the concrete floor. “No, you’re not. Like I said, it’s complicated.”

Rhett spoke in a careful, concerned tone of voice that Link hadn’t heard from him before. “Would you care to talk about it?”

Link found it oddly amusing that Rachel had done the exact same thing just a couple of hours earlier. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair nervously. He’d never really told anybody exactly what had happened. Everyone at work knew that he and Rachel had separated, but nobody knew exactly why. He knew that’s why they had been talking behind his back a moment earlier. He didn’t mind it, which is why he never bothered explaining. However, Rhett seemed like he genuinely wanted to know what had happened, and Link thought that maybe telling him about it could help his own mind to process his feelings. He’d obviously leave out the part about having a crush on the merman.

“Sure… Where should I start?” Link asked, approaching Rhett and leaning against the tank. 

Rhett crossed his arms and rested them on the edge of the tank, right next to Link’s shoulder. He rested his head on his arms, his gentle, bright green eyes staring directly into Link’s. “Wherever you want,” Rhett whispered.

Link took a calming breath and began trailing his fingers through the water as he tried to decide how to begin. “Well, we met here at the aquarium. She’s actually the reason why I started working here. We started out as friends, but eventually, Chase--”

“Your young colleague that I was splashing?” Rhett interrupted. 

Link laughed. “Yeah, him. Chase convinced me to ask her out for a date. We went to dinner a few times, and we… It felt right. I really fell head-over-heels in love…” 

After a long pause, Rhett muttered, “I do not know what ‘head-over-heels’ means, but I assume it is a good thing…” 

Link chuckled. “Oh yeah. You don’t have heels…” Link pointed to his heel. 

“Aaaah! Alright, Human Link. I am following so far.. You fell in love with Rachel. Continue.”

Link smiled. “She moved in with me, and I even… I proposed to her. We were going to get married and start a life together. But, I… I realized something about myself. I’m not sure if merpeople have a word for this, but…” Link felt the blood rising to his cheeks. How would Rhett react to his confession? What if merpeople were all horribly homophobic? Did same sex relationships even exist in their societies? Link internally scolded himself. Of course they did, most animals have shown evidence of it. He still worried about Rhett not being accepting, of course, but he had to tell him. “I realized that I’m… I’m bisexual.”

Link nervously glanced at Rhett in an attempt to gauge his reaction. The merman had his head tilted to the side, obviously extremely intrigued. “Really, Human Link?”

Link nodded. “Yep. Do you, um… Do you know what that means?”

“Hmmm…” Rhett squinted his eyes, deep in thought.

Link assumed the merman’s reaction meant that he didn’t understand, so he elaborated. “I am also...sexually attracted to...men.”

Rhett shook his head. “Oh, no, Human Link. I know what the word means.”

“You do?”

“Yes, we merpeople are very diverse when it comes to sexuality,” Rhett explained. “There are quite a few merpeople who condemn those who are not attracted to exclusively the opposite sex, of course… Do humans accept each other for those feelings?”

Link sighed. “A lot do, but a lot don’t…” 

Rhett squinted his eyes again and moved his face closer to Link’s. He whispered, “Human Link, did Rachel condemn you for your attractions?”

Link couldn’t help but smile. “No, Rhett. Not at all. She’s been absolutely amazing. I was just… I was afraid of settling down with Rachel before exploring that aspect of myself… She’s been completely supportive. We didn’t separate because we didn’t love each other, which is why we still act like a couple. Sometimes I regret separating, but…” Link shook his head, unable to find the words to continue his sentence.

“Is your family supportive, too?” Rhett questioned further.

Link thought back to the moment he’d told his parents not only that he and Rachel, who they had loved dearly, were separating, but also the reasoning behind it. His father, who Link had expected to be the one who’d have a problem with it, actually understood. He had told Link that he wanted him to do whatever made him happy. However, he had also said that he wanted nothing to do with it. “As long as you think you might seriously be with a man, don’t come around here.” His mom, on the other hand, threw a fit. Link was just grateful he’d told her over the phone, because he could hear her throwing and breaking things. He hadn’t spoken to them since. It had crushed Link. His parents were a huge part of his life, and suddenly, they had pushed him away. Link was on the verge of tears, and Rhett knew exactly why.

“I understand, Human Link…” 

Link raised his head again, staring Rhett in the eye and choking back his sobs. “You… You do?” 

Rhett nodded solemnly. “I had a very similar experience.”

Link perked up. “What? Really?”

“I, too, am bisexual.”

“You, uh… You are?” Link’s heart skipped a beat. The words coming from the merman’s mouth were like music to Link’s ears. He immediately scolded himself for having the positive emotional reaction to his words. Hearing that Rhett was bisexual made him think he might have an actual shot with him. “What’s wrong with you, Link?” he thought to himself. “He lives in a fucking tank…”

Rhett cupped Link’s face with a damp hand and began caressing his cheek with his thumb. The merman’s gentle touch made Link’s heart flutter. He wanted to believe that it meant something, that maybe Rhett wanted to kiss him, but for all he knew, it was a standard greeting between merpeople. Rhett had touched him in a similar way in the past, and it didn’t seem to mean anything deeper than a nice touch. Maybe Link was only just allowing himself to read into the emotion behind the contact, though… He wanted to lean in and kiss Rhett deeply, but he held back.

The merman responded, pulling his hand away from Link’s face. “I am. My parents arranged a marriage for me. I was to be married to a lovely mermaid by the name of Lynn. I was extremely unhappy with the decision at first, considering the motivation for the marriage was merely to boost our status in the community. However, I fell madly in love. I had a similar realization to yours. I announced it to everyone, but my social circle was full of extremely unaccepting merpeople. I was ostracized. This is why, as I said before, I have been more or less alone for… I believe it has been a few months, now.”

“Gosh, Rhett,” Link sighed. “I’m so sorry to hear that…” 

“It is alright. It did not come as a surprise. I have always been more of a solitary creature.”

“I’m… I’m glad you understand. You have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone else what I told you, though. Okay?”

“Of course, Human Link! I would never share your personal information without your permission. May I ask why you do not wish for anyone to know?”

“They know Rachel and I aren’t a couple anymore, but I don’t feel comfortable telling them the rest of it. I don’t want it to change their opinion of me.”

Rhett nodded. “If anyone were to give you grief about it, I would be more than happy to splash them with my tail.” Rhett got even closer, his nose practically touching Link’s, before adding, “I’d do worse, if you wanted.”

Link laughed boisterously. It came as a relief after the long, emotional conversation. “I don’t want you to hurt anyone, Rhett.”

The merman smiled widely. “I am honored to know that you trust me enough to tell me this information, Human Link! I will not let you down!” He pushed away from the wall and dove down into the water, doing an impressive spin. He then resurfaced, still grinning. 

“Thanks, Rhett.”

Link then heard his boss calling for him on their radios. “Link, the higher-ups want us to open the Merman exhibit  _ tomorrow _ .”

Link was shocked. “Um, Rhett? I need to go talk with my boss. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He ran through the hallways, passing what must’ve been hundreds of guests, before arriving at his boss’s office. 

“Oh, Link! What is it?” Drew asked.

“We’re opening the exhibit tomorrow!? Already?” he asked, panting.

“I’m just as surprised as you are. Do you think Rhett will be ready?”

“I honestly have no idea…”

Drew shrugged. “He better be. We have no choice.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!!! School started so now I've got a lot less time to write. :/ This update is super long tho, so hopefully that counts for something :)

“So, do you think you’re ready to meet the public?” Link asked Rhett, leaning against the tank and watching as the merman floated gently on his back, reflections of the bright colors of his tail shimmering on the water’s surface. 

“Well, I suppose I don’t have a choice, do I?” Rhett replied. He didn’t seem too bothered by the situation.

“I’m sure if you wanted to do something else, they’d let you.” Link glanced at his watch. They were set to open at any moment. He was just waiting for the ‘okay.’ It was way too late to change Rhett’s “performance,” at least for the day. 

“No, I am genuinely looking forward to answering questions!”

Link was glad Rhett was eager to get started, but he wasn’t looking forward to the change. The amount of one-on-one time he’d been able to share with the merman had been incredible. Link adored bonding with all of the animals at the aquarium, but there was no question that his time with Rhett was different. Now that the exhibit was opening, it wouldn’t just be himself and Rhett any longer—he’d have to share Rhett’s company with dozens of strangers. Link kept telling himself that the exhibit was only going to be open four days a week, so he’d still have time alone with the merman before and after the aquarium closed for the day as well as the weekends. He sighed, adjusted his glasses, and put on a smile when he heard somebody approaching him.

He turned around and saw his boss standing there. “Hey, Drew.”

“Hello, Link. Is everything ready?” He checked his watch. “We open in 5 minutes.”

“Yep, Rhett’s all ready!” Link assured, although he was nervous. He wasn’t sure what would come out of Rhett’s mouth. Drew walked to the hallway to check on things there, so Link turned back to Rhett. In the short time he was facing the opposite direction, Rhett had retrieved his trident from wherever he had been storing it. 

“How long is this going to last?” Rhett questioned.

“I’m going to be bringing groups in one by one for a couple of hours, until closing time,” he explained. 

“Oh, that’s not bad at all!” Rhett called as he swam to the back of the tank.

“Where are you going?” 

“I am going to sit atop these boulders so the public can see me in all my glory!” he bellowed, raising the trident into the air. 

Link couldn’t help but burst into giggles, making Rhett grin widely in the process. Link was sure the aquarium’s visitors waiting in the hall could hear the merman’s voice. “Hey, Rhett?” 

“What is it, Human Link?” 

“There’s only one rule for this. Please don’t say anything too... _ adult _ if there’s kids around. Okay?” 

“What kind of a merman do you think I am? I am ready! Bring in my guests!”

Link smiled and flashed Rhett a thumbs-up before walking down the hall to where the beginning of the line was. The narrow hallway was abuzz, voices from a large crowd echoing throughout. When they saw Link approaching, the noise level dropped dramatically, while Link’s nerves spiked. All eyes were on him, and he always tried to avoid situations where that was the case. His hands began to tremble, and he could feel sweat forming on his palms. He took a deep breath before standing on his toes and outstretching his arms, projecting his voice as he spoke.

“OKAY EVERYONE! WE’RE GOING TO BE BRINGING 30 OF YOU THROUGH AT A TIME, SO JUST BEAR WITH US!” He moved the makeshift gate aside and counted as adults and a few children filed excitedly past. He moved the gate back into place and walked to the front of his small group. In the typical sing-song voice he used for these small tours, he said, “Alright, guys. I'm Link, and I’ll be bringing you to meet our resident merman! I’m sure you heard, but this will be a Q&A type of setting, so start thinking about anything you want to know!”

“Is anything off limits?” a man asked as Link began to lead them in the direction of the tank.

“Just keep it family friendly, that's the only rule.” Link paused and turned, remembering the children in the group. “Oh, one more thing. The merman, Rhett, can get really loud. He likes to yell sometimes, so just be prepared. The volume can startle you.” 

Parents nodded in acknowledgment as the children jumped up and down, clapping. Link smiled and continued walking. As they turned the corner, and Rhett came into view, he heard gasps behind him. 

“WELCOME TO MY EXHIBIT, HUMANS!” Rhett cried, pointing his trident towards the group as they approached the tank. “ASK ME YOUR QUESTIONS, I SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE!”

“Everyone, meet Rhett!” Link grinned. Seeing the amazed faces on everyone in front of him made him think back to the first time he’d seen Rhett; he wondered if they were feeling what he had that day. Rhett certainly wasn’t acting as imposing as he had in the past, so perhaps they weren’t as intimidated. A couple of the kids seemed much more interested in the trout than Rhett, which the merman didn't seem to appreciate. 

“PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE TROUT!” he bellowed. The children ignored him.

“Can I ask a question?” a man standing in the back of the group asked, raising his hand. 

“Go ahead!” Link smiled.

The man removed his sunglasses and stepped forward. “Do you shave?”

Rhett opened his mouth to speak, but closed it immediately. He turned to Link with a questioning look on his face, then looked back to the man. “No, human! I do not shave! NEXT QUESTION!”

Link bit his lip in an attempt to hold back laughter. He could tell that Rhett didn’t know what shaving was, but was trying to appear all-knowing and...powerful. Link could feel butterflies in his chest and his cheeks turning red. He suddenly felt more awake—more...alive. It wasn’t unlike the feeling he’d get in middle school when he’d look at his very first crush, Amber, standing at her locker between classes. Link closed his eyes, trying to contain his emotions. He was beginning to notice himself giggling at everything coming out of Rhett’s mouth...just like he’d act in middle school around Amber. A sudden realization hit Link: he’d never acted this way around Rachel. He never went through that puppy love phase. Did that mean anything? His crush on Amber had faded away relatively quickly, and if his crush on Rhett was following that same path, maybe it would dissipate, too. His stomach lurched at the thought. As problematic as having a crush on a merman confined to a tank was, did he really want the feelings to go away? He sighed. Of course he wanted them to. There was nowhere the relationship could go. There just wasn’t. But—

Link was drawn from his thoughts by a light tugging on his cargo shorts. A sheepish young girl was standing beside him, eyes wide. “Mr. Link?”

Link kneeled. “Yes?”

The girl whispered into his ear. “Will you ask Rhett if he has a girlfriend?”

Link smiled, trying his hardest not to blush at the thought. “Sure.”

“Thank you,” she mumbled as Link stood before running back to her mother.

“Rhett, we've got our next question. One of the girls would like to know if you have a girlfriend!” He tried his absolute best to sound confident, but his nerves were running wild. He could feel his hands shaking again. Thinking back to their conversation the previous day, he worried about what the merman’s answer would be.

“Ah, I used to have a girlfriend, human child! Lynn and I were going to have a lovely wedding! But we are no longer a couple. I am not upset, as I prefer being alone, anyway!”

Link sighed in relief, happy that Rhett hadn’t said anything about the reason behind their breakup. He could practically see the headlines: Merman Comes Out As Bisexual. If anyone had decided to boycott the facility because of it, Link himself probably would’ve been held accountable. Link did, however, feel a pang of sadness at Rhett’s last comment. “I prefer being alone, anyway.” Link rolled his eyes at himself. He shouldn’t care. It shouldn’t make him feel like he didn’t have a chance, because he didn’t anyway.

The questions continued for a few minutes until he had to bring the next group in. Link tried his best to not dwell on his emotions—specifically the ones about Rhett. The last group’s Q&A was over just minutes before the aquarium was set to close its doors. Link slowly walked back to the trout tank after showing the group to the hallway. “We’re finished,” he said to Rhett, who proceeded to dive into the water with a large splash. 

Popping out of the water by the edge of the tank near where Link was standing, Rhett mused, “You did very good, Human Link!” 

The complement caught Link off guard. “I… I did?”

“Yes! It seems like something has been weighing on your mind today, and yet you hid it beautifully around the public. Are you okay, Human Link?”

Link sighed. He bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair. “Uh, yeah. I’m okay, Rhett. Thanks,” he half-lied.

“Are you sure?” Rhett asked, his eyes squinting with suspicion. “You know you can tell me if something is wrong…”

Link smiled. It felt good to know that Rhett was there for him, but there was no way he could tell the merman what was truly going on in his mind. “I’m sure. Thank you, Rhett. Really.”

“Human Link?” 

“What is it?”

“What is shaving? Did I answer that man correctly?”

Link laughed again, finding Rhett’s ignorance kind of adorable. “Shaving is…” He paused, trying to come up with the most easily understandable explanation. “It’s when you use something sharp to remove hair from your face or...or body.” 

“Aaaah, okay! Thank you, Human Link!”

“You’re welcome,” Link smiled. 

“I did answer correctly, then.”

“Oh, really?” Link was surprised. Rhett’s short beard seemed to be neatly trimmed—not a single one of the hairs appeared to be out of place. 

“Our beards grow to a certain length and then stay that way. I’ve been teased for having such a short beard…” he said, running his damp fingers through his dripping beard.  Link was about to respond, but Rhett spoke again before he got the chance. “Do you shave, Human Link?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I do. I don’t really like how I look with a beard…”

“I would love to see you with a beard, Human Link! I’m sure it looks very attractive!”

Link blushed furiously—so deeply that his face burned. He turned his back to the tank to hide his face from Rhett. His entire body felt like it was on fire. He felt like screaming from pure elation. Link had to take a few calming breaths before he could respond. “Th...thanks.” He silently scolded himself for how he’d reacted to Rhett’s comment. “I, uh… Good job today, Rhett.”

“You’re acting strangely. What is wrong?”

Link was starting to sweat—he knew he was failing miserably at hiding his feelings. “N...nothing.”

“I know you’re lying to me, Human Link! I am not as clueless as you may think I am.”

Link took a few deep, calming breaths before turning back toward the tank. He forced a smile. “Rhett, I’m glad you’re concerned about me or whatever, but I promise you. I’m alright.”

Rhett chewed on his bottom lip and after a moment of contemplation, he pushed off from the glass wall and floated smoothly on his back toward the back of the tank. “Okay, if you say so.”

Link sighed in relief. The interrogation was over. “You did great today, Rhett. Thanks.”

“Thank you, Human Link! Will you be returning home now?”

“Yeah, the aquarium’s closing. I’ll see you tomorrow, Rhett.”

Link started to head off when Rhett spoke again, his voice soft—almost a whisper. “Human Link?”

Link turned slightly, just enough to see Rhett out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah?”

“Can we watch another movie soon?”

Smiling, Link nodded. “Definitely! I’ll bring a few tomorrow for you to choose between.”

“Thank you, Human Link! I’m looking forward to it!”

“Bye, Rhett.”

“Please bring popcorn!” the merman called as Link walked away.

Link was wandering through the halls toward the employee lockers to change before returning home, when he was stopped. “Oh, Link! Hold on!” Link turned to see one of the lab workers.

“Hey, Ben! I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s it going?” he smiled. 

“Alright. I’ve been super busy, but I figured out what that sample you left us was!”

Link perked up. “Oh, seriously? What is it?”

Ben licked his lips and shifted his weight awkwardly. “Well, it’s, uh… I didn’t witness the glowing effect you explained in the note since it was dead by the time I got to it, but it was...sperm.”

“S...sperm?” Link felt like he’d gotten the wind knocked out of him—like he’d gotten punched in the gut or something. It took him a moment to tell himself to take a deep, steadying breath to calm himself.

“Yeah! Sperm! You can’t blame the guy for jerking off… There’s not much to do in that tank!” Ben chuckled, clearly amused by the whole thing. “I’m bummed that I didn’t get to the sample sooner. I would’ve loved to see the bioluminescence you were talking about!”

He could feel a blush coming on due to the direction his mind was going. How… How did mermen...masturbate? Link hadn’t seen any indication of where... _ that part _ of his anatomy was... Link was frustrated at himself for picturing what had been going on moments before he’d collected the sample. “Y...yep. Uh, well, thanks for looking at it. I’ll… I’ll see you later…” 

“Wait!” Ben held onto Link’s wrist as he started to wander off.

“What?”

“Do you think you could get another sample for me? As far as I know, this would be the first evidence of natural bioluminescence in sperm, and I… I really need to do some more research…” 

Link closed his eyes and dropped his shoulders in exasperation. He didn’t want to even think about what he’d have to tell Rhett in order to get another sample. His breath hitched in his throat when he felt a stir in his jeans. He really needed to get out of the conversation. “Yeah, I’ll do my best, man. I gotta go.”

“Thanks!” Ben responded enthusiastically, but Link was already making his way further down the hall. 

Link didn’t have any time to recover from the news when Link practically ran right into Drew, who stopped him in his tracks. “Link! I need a huge favor.”

“Wh...what is it?” Link stammered.

“You okay?” 

“Oh, uh…” Link shook his head as if to shake the thoughts out of his mind. “Yeah, I’m… I’m fine. What’s up?”

“There’s a Girl Scout troop spending the night here tonight.”

“Oh, wasn’t Lizzie supposed to be their guide?” Link asked.

“She was, but she’s got some family business she needs to attend to. I know we usually make sure to have female aquarists be the guide, but they’re all home already, and I know you’re good with kids. They’ll be here in a few minutes… Do you think you could do it? You wouldn't have to come in tomorrow...”

Link sighed. He was really looking forward to going home and heating up his leftover pizza from his dinner the night before, but he couldn’t say no. When he was still studying to become an aquarist, he’d worked in the children’s activity center of the aquarium. He loved kids, he really did. So, despite being tired, he agreed. “Sure. I can do that.”

Drew visibly relaxed. “Thank you so much.”

“They’ll be here in a few minutes? So, I don’t have time to swing home to grab my toothbrush or anything?”

Drew shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. There’s a toothbrush in the giftshop…” 

“Alright. Sounds good.”

“Thanks, Link. Really. You’ll just meet them at the front door, give them a private tour—”

“And they’ll camp out in the tunnel tank,” Link finished for his boss. “I got it.”

“Right. You’re an absolute life saver. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

Link walked to the gift shop and purchased a toothbrush. There wasn’t any toothpaste in the gift shop, but it’d be better than nothing. He put the brush in his locker with his clothes and sat on the bench, watching his coworkers leaving one by one. Soon enough, he was sure he was the last one in the building. The sun had nearly set when he approached the front doors of the aquarium. Drew had left him the keys, so he opened the locked doors. Twelve girls ranging from eight to twelve, all holding pillows and sleeping bags, cheered when they saw Link. He smiled and nodded in acknowledgment to their one chaperone, a woman appearing to be just a bit older than Link. 

“You ready?” he asked the group.

“YEAH!” they all squealed. 

He held the doors open wider, allowing the girls to run inside. The woman stopped in the doorway. “Hi there, I’m Linda. Thanks so much for doing this. I heard they almost had to cancel the trip, and the girls were really looking forward to it.”

“Hi, Linda. I’m Link. It’s no problem, really. They’re going to love the experience.  The aquarium is like a whole other world after dark. It's my favorite time to see some of the exhibits . ” Link’s sentence trailed off as he thought back to Rhett… His scales shining under the moonlight… Link then silently scolded himself.

“I’m sure it is!” Linda smiled as she followed the girls.

Link closed and locked the front doors before leading the small group to the long tunnel that they’d be sleeping overnight in. The girls excitedly began unrolling their sleeping bags, receiving help from Linda whenever they needed it. “So, first thing’s first,” Link began, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels as he watched the girls busily unpack their things. “To make things easier on me, let’s play a name game when you girls are finished. I want you to tell me your name, and favorite animal!” 

“Do they have to be at the aquarium?” one of the older girls wondered.

“Nope! It can be anything.” 

One by one, as the girls finished setting up their sleeping spaces with pillows and stuffed animals, they’d tell him their names. When it was one of the youngest girl’s turn, she was clearly uncomfortable with it. Link immediately felt for the girl—she reminded him of himself when he was that age: small, brunette, and anxious. She even had glasses. Yep. Just like him. He knew from experience that a lot of the time, those kids sort of got lost in the crowd and were ignored, and Link didn't want that to happen. Wanting to make the girl feel as comfortable as possible, Link got closer and kneeled down so he was on her level. With a soft voice, he whispered, quiet enough so that the other girls wouldn’t be able to hear. “You okay?” The girl nodded. “Just shy?” The girl nodded again. “It’s okay, I get it. This kinda thing would’ve been a nightmare for me when I was your age. I’ll make sure you have just as much fun as the other girls, okay?” 

She couldn’t help but smile ever-so-slightly, nodding again. “I’m Lily. And, uh… My favorite animal is a snake...” 

An immediate wave of strong, mixed emotions washed over Link. He and Rachel had once discussed wanting children, and Lily was the name they’d chosen for their hypothetical future daughter. Seeing a girl that reminded him so much of himself at her age with the name… Link was convinced that the universe was playing some kind of a mean joke on him. He wondered if this was some sort of a sign that he shouldn’t have broken up with Rachel. Well, she did say that if he ever wanted to get back together… He put his complicated thoughts to the back of his mind, reminding himself to focus on the present. He smiled a genuine yet difficult smile and said, “Lily? I love that name. I’m terrified of snakes, though. You're braver than I am!”  

Lily smiled, and it warmed Link’s heart. He was glad to be able to make her feel more comfortable; a counselor or guide had never done that for him as a child. He stood and continued on. When he felt he’d gotten a handle on everyone’s name, he said, “Okay, girls, there’s a bathroom right around the corner. Would you rather change into your pajamas now, and be extra comfy on the tour, or wait?” Link was secretly hoping they’d choose to change immediately so that he’d have time to slip away and tell Rhett that he was still there at the aquarium. The girls unanimously chose to change, so Link led them to the bathroom, then hurried further down the hall toward the trout exhibit. Exiting the main building and walking to the tank, he saw Rhett floating on his back and staring at the sky. 

“Hey, Rhett. Change of plans. I’m still here.”

“Oh! Hello again, Human Link! I was just admiring the sky.”

Link looked up, seeing the clouds overhead, now all pink and orange with the light of the setting sun. “Yeah, it’s pretty, huh?” 

“I am extremely happy that you are back, but why are you still here?”

Link explained the situation quickly, knowing he'd need to get back to the girls soon. “I'll see you in a little while.”

The merman waved goodbye with a smile and Link hurried back to where he'd left Linda with the kids. When he returned, all the girls were ready for the tour, excitedly bouncing around and squealing and swinging their favorite stuffed animals around. Link noticed Lily clutching her stuffed snake and not participating in the ruckus. “Who wants to see some animals?” Link asked boisterously. 

“MEEE!” the girls called back all at once. 

“Follow me!” Link spun dramatically on his heels, and began the tour. 

Some of the girls ran ahead of him as he walked them around to each tank and exhibit the aquarium had to offer on the tour, some of them followed behind, but Lily stayed right by Link’s side. Whenever Link would make eye contact with Linda, she would give him a knowing, thankful look. Lily was giggling at Link’s jokes and asking questions about the animals. Link felt extremely happy that he was able to make the girl feel comfortable. The small group was standing around the round tank of jellyfish when the oldest girl, Monique, left the conversation with her friends, skipping around the circular tank to the other side where Link was. “Mr. Link?”

“Yes?”

“Do we get to see the Merman? I read about him online and he seems really cool!”

“M...Merman?” Lily asked.

“That's the last stop!” Link said, his tone upbeat despite his shaky nerves. 

Monique and her friends squealed and giggled, clapping their hands in excitement. Link began rattling off Jellyfish facts that weren’t listed on the plaques in front of them, but the girls clearly weren’t listening, so he stopped.

“We should play truth or dare!” Monique said, more insisting than suggesting. 

“Girls,” Linda warned, but the girls didn’t listen.

The girls’ game began as Link led them to the shark tank. He went through with his speech all about sharks and began talking about all the fun facts that he knew, but only Lily, Linda, and one other girl were listening.

“Mr. Link?” Monique suddenly asked. 

“Yes?” Link questioned, secretly hoping she had been listening to what he’d been saying.

“It’s your turn! Truth or dare!”

“Monique, that’s not--” Linda started to scold her, but she didn’t let her finish.

“Pick one!” Monique insisted.

“Um… Truth…” Link didn’t mind participating for a round.

“Do you have a crush on anyone?” The girls giggled softly, eagerly waiting for a response. “You gotta tell the truth!”

Link, obviously, immediately thought about Rhett. He couldn’t say anything about the merman, obviously, but he needed to respond to appease the girls. “I, uh…” He quickly glanced at the merman exhibit advertisement that was hanging on the wall. Monique, being extremely observant, followed his gaze.

“MR. LINK HAS A CRUSH ON THE MERMAN!” she screamed. The girls erupted in laughter and grabbed ahold of him, dragging him towards the exhibit. 

“GIRLS!” Linda shouted, trailing quickly behind. 

Link’s heart was racing. How’d he lose control so quickly? They rounded the corner and were suddenly in front of the trout exhibit, and what Link saw shook him. That same bioluminescent substance was floating in the water, slowly heading for him. Now that he knew what this stuff was, he quickly tried to lead the girls away. They weren’t having it. 

“Mr. Merman! Please come out!” they began shouting. 

Rhett’s head poked up from behind the rocks. He was clearly confused. When he saw Link surrounded by the children, he blushed—or, his cheeks turned a darker green—and disappeared again. Link’s stomach churned. “Let’s go, girls. It doesn’t look like Rhett wants to—”

Link was cut off by one of the girls. “Mr. Merman! We have a dare for you!”

“What is this dare you speak of, human child?” Rhett’s booming voice came from somewhere behind the rocks. 

The girls gasped, taking a moment to regain composure. “It’s like a challenge!” Monique yelled back.

Rhett suddenly darted through the water and broke the surface, splashing water over the walls of the tank. “I AM ALWAYS UP FOR A CHALLENGE!”

Link bit his lip and sighed. Where was this going?

“I dare you to kiss Link on the cheek!” the girl said. 

Rhett looked at the girl in surprise for a moment, then turned his attention to Link. He appeared confused, yet determined. He swam quickly to the edge of the tank and motioned for Link to come closer. Link took a couple of shaky, nervous steps before the girls, who had grown impatient, shoved him the rest of the way. 

“Girls, this needs to stop!” Linda barked. 

In one fluid move, Rhett grabbed Link by the shoulder, planted a hard, wet kiss on his cheek, and thrust his arms up in victory. “Challenge complete, human children!” As quickly as he’d swam out, he returned to his hiding place behind the boulders.

The girls all cheered, but Link barely registered the noise. He was in shock. He could feel the threat of tears beginning to form, prickling at his eyelids, as he dwelled on what had just happened. He could still feel the ghost of Rhett’s lips on his cheek. It was almost as if they were still there, pressed against his skin. It had all happened so quickly, but it was… It was… It was nice. It was amazing. Link wanted more. He wanted so much more. He swallowed, and deeply inhaled, trying to ground himself. He barely noticed Linda pulling Monique and her two friends to the side. 

“Girls, it’s bedtime, now,” she insisted, clearly furious. 

Link blinked a few times, trying desperately to return to earth, and walked behind the group of girls, making sure they got to their sleeping bags safely. He stood there as they all got tucked in. “I’m so sorry about that,” Linda had said to him, clearly embarrassed by the children’s behavior. 

“It’s okay,” Link insisted. “They’re kids, I understand.” 

“Mr. Link?” Lily spoke up for the first time since this had all started. 

“What’s up?” 

“Are you sleeping here with us?” she wondered.

“I’ll be in the building, but I’ve got my bed set up in the other room,” he explained, pointing down the hall. “Goodnight, girls. Hopefully you had a good time!” 

He waved before finally getting some peace and quiet. He shut the door of the employee lounge. He had placed a sleeping bag on the couch. It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing. After brushing his teeth with his new toothbrush and turning off the light before climbing into his makeshift bed, he closed his eyes, trying to relax enough to fall asleep. What was probably a couple of hours passed as images of Rhett danced through his head—images of both things that had happened in real life and things that would surely only exist in his imagination. He placed a hand on his cheek in the same spot Rhett’s lips had been not long ago. He so wished he’d been able to prepare himself before the action. He wished he’d been able to ready himself so he could’ve taken in the moment more carefully. It had all happened too quickly, and he was afraid it’d never happen again. Actually, he was sure it wouldn’t. It couldn’t happen again. It was wrong. He rolled onto his side so that he was facing the back of the couch. It was then that he realized he'd missed the perfect opportunity to get another sample of the bioluminescence for the lab. He couldn’t help but start crying. His emotions were completely out of control when it came to Rhett. The slightest thing was able to set him off now, and he—

The sound of the door creaking open startled him. He sat up and turned, quickly wiping his eyes to pretend like he hadn’t been crying. 

“Mr. Link?” 

“Lily? What are you doing in here?” Link tried to speak in a normal tone, but his voice shook.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Lily slowly approached the couch. “They weren’t listening to your tour and then they embarrassed you. It was really mean. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, Lily. It’s—”

“I heard you crying, Mr. Link…” 

Link’s heart sank. So much for being the confident adult. “Lily, I… It’s not…”

“It’s okay. My mom said it’s okay to cry. If it makes you feel any better, I think he likes you back…” she whispered as she climbed onto the couch to sit next to Link.

“Lily, c’mon. You shouldn’t be in here. I’ll walk you back out to your sleeping bag.”

“I don’t want to go back,” she muttered. 

“Why not?”

“It’s scary and I don’t like those other girls. I wanna be in here with you. You’re nice. You don’t pick on me.”

Link sighed. As much as he wished he could let Lily stay with him, it was obvious that he couldn’t. “Lily, I’m sorry, sweetie. I can’t let you do that.”

“Why?” she whined.

“It’s not...appropriate.”

“Pleeeease?”

Link had a thought. He stood and walked to the counter where his bag was sitting. He dug through the pockets, quickly finding what he was looking for. It was a tiny little plush dolphin. He’d bought it at the gift shop a few months earlier, meaning to give it to a friend of his. He’d never gotten around to it. He walked back to the couch and handed it to the girl. “I want you to have this,” he said. She looked it over and smiled. “I promise, there’s nothing to be afraid of out there, Lily. If you feel scared, just hug this or your snake, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay, Mr. Link…”

“If anything bad happens, which it won’t, there’s a security guard walking around, and I’m right in here.”

“Okay…” She got up and began to walk back to the door, but stopped. “Mr. Link?”

“Yeah?”

“You and Rhett could be like the Prince and Ariel…”

Link couldn’t help but smile. “Goodnight, Lily…”

She ran back to him, squeezing him into a quick hug before walking to the door, closing it behind her without another word. Link sighed and laid back down, somehow managing to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Link awoke slowly, staring around the room in confusion, not realizing where he was at first. The day before came back to him, and he sighed, sitting up. He rubbed his eyes before glancing at the clock. It was a fuzzy blur, and again, Link was confused for a moment before remembering his glasses. He always seemed to be short a few IQ points upon first waking up. Shaking his head at himself, the man retrieved them from the nearby table and perched them on his face before glancing at the clock again.

Link groaned with reluctance, knowing that he needed to go wake the girls up when all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep more. He had always been somebody who loved to get as much shuteye as possible, and therefore had never been the easiest riser. So, he had to psych  himself up, forcing the mask of a smile onto his face to hide the physical and emotional pain that he was in. The physical pain had an easy explanation: old couches weren’t the best for one’s back.

The emotional pain, on the other hand, was a bit more confusing. The previous evening had taken it’s toll on Link. Between finding out what that glowing substance was and the surprise of getting a kiss on the cheek from Rhett, he wasn’t sure what he should be feeling, or what he should do about his crush.

The man’s smile faltered for a brief moment when he was still alone in the room, but as soon as he placed his shoes back on his feet and stepped out of the employee lounge, he made sure that his happy expression was a convincing one.

As Link headed down the hallway, he heard the girls already laughing and joking around with each other. As soon as he entered the long tunnel they were camped out in, they squealed, greeting him with excitement.

“Good morning, girls,” he said with a slightly forced laugh. “Did you have a good rest?”

They all nodded enthusiastically. As the girls responded, Link spotted Lily in the corner, squeezing the dolphin he’d given her the night before.

“Hi, Mr. Link!” she enthused.

“Hi, Lily,” he smiled and waved. It warmed his heart to hear her sound so comfortable.

Once all of the morning greetings had been exchanged, the girls all began to pack up their belongings as Link stood and watched. It wasn’t long at all before they were filing out the front doors, heading home. Lily was the last one out, pausing to hug Link before running off to catch up with the rest of her group.

Calling goodbye after everyone, Link locked the door before heading back to the employee lounge. Upon his entrance, he packed up all of his own belongings, rushing to get back to his apartment as quickly as he could. Being in the aquarium, knowing that Rhett was only a few rooms away, was making it hard for Link to think straight. His emotions were running wild, and he just wanted it to stop. He knew that being in his own home, away from posters of the merman that was the source of his distress, would only make him feel better.

The second that Link closed the door of his apartment, he began stripping off his clothes while heading toward his bedroom, wasting no time before crawling into his own bed. He was a mess of emotions, and the only solution he could think of in that moment was to sleep.

Link was startled awake only an hour later by the sound of his cellphone ringing loudly. He leapt up with surprise, groaning at the realization that he was awake again so soon. Despite his displeasure, he grabbed his phone and answered it, not bothering to look at the caller ID. The only reason that he was making the effort to answer the call in the first place was that there was the possibility that he was needed at work for whatever reason. He couldn’t afford to miss a work-related call. “What?” however, was his only greeting. Sure, he knew he needed to answer it, but there was no reason for him to act cheery and pleasant in the process. “Jeez, somebody have a long night?” Rachel’s voice laughed from the other end.

Link sighed. “Hey, Rachel. Why are you calling?” he asked, slightly annoyed, laying his head back onto his pillow. While he wasn’t excited to be talking, he was relieved to know that he’d be able to sleep as soon as the conversation was over, instead of having to go back into work. There was no need for him to be alert, so he relaxed back into his mattress.

“I was just wondering where you were. I thought you were working today.”

“Yeah, I ended up filling in for that Girl Scouts thing.” Link sighed at the thought of how hectic it had been. “Drew said I could skip today.”

“Oh, really? How’d that go?!”

“Um… Well,” Link started, unsure of what to tell the woman. “I, uh… I met a little girl named Lily…”

Rachel was quiet for a moment, and Link knew why. It was the same reason that the name had caught him off-guard the night before. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Basically a female version of me when I was her age.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Link smiled a sad smile at their lack of ability to say anything else. That one simple word made it completely obvious that both of them were experiencing quite a few heavy emotions regarding the current status of their relationship.

“That’s… Hey, do you want to hang out tonight?”

Link sighed yet again. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I… Something happened last night, and I… I think I need some time alone to work through it. I hope—”

Rachel cut him off. “Did it have anything to do with Rhett?” Of course it was about Rhett. It was always about Rhett, lately.

After a long, awkward silence, Link made a small noise of confirmation. He could feel the very beginning of tears forming, his throat tightening up almost painfully. He shook his head, silently begging himself to keep it together. Link had felt awful about dragging her down with him, and was beginning to think he should stop burdening her with his current emotional problems.

“Do you need to talk about it?” Rachel asked with some hesitation. Link could instantly tell that Rachel was feeling uncomfortable about the subject. What had changed? She had been so open about it just a few weeks earlier. Link didn’t blame her. Of course she didn’t want to talk about the _fish-man_ that he was utterly in love with.

“No. I… I think this is something I need to work through by myself…”

When Link didn’t hear a response from the woman for a while, he checked his phone and saw that she had hung up. He tossed the phone onto his floor haphazardly, feeling incredibly frustrated and upset and lonely and all sorts of other emotions that he couldn’t quite place in his half-awake state. Why had Rachel hung up on him like that? She had seemed so insistent on helping him out and giving him advice on his situation before. Link wasn’t ready to face reality yet, so he rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep again. Maybe an unconscious state would serve to bring him some peace. Despite the fact that he battled against images of the bioluminescence floating through the trout tank and the ghostly sensation of Rhett’s beard and lips pressed against his cheek, somehow, miraculously, he managed to fall asleep once again.

It wasn’t until seven o’clock that Link awoke again. He groaned, realizing just how late it was. His stomach ached with hunger, so he unenthusiastically pulled himself out from under the covers and crawled out of the bed. He limped into the kitchen, his limbs stiff from sleeping for so long. He remembered the leftover pizza he’d hoped to eat for dinner the night before, and removed the box from his fridge with the slightest hint of a smile. When he opened the pizza box, however, he noticed a scent that betrayed the fact that the pizza might not be completely safe to eat. He sighed, muttering to himself, “Nothing’s going my way right now, is it?”

Disappointed, Link tossed the box into the garbage and checked his cupboards. He’d known he’d needed to go grocery shopping for a while now, so there was nothing much to eat—certainly not enough to satisfy his current hunger. When he began to walk back to his bedroom for his phone to order some food, perhaps more pizza, he had second thoughts. Maybe going out would be better. Possibly to a bar to... _meet_ somebody other than Rachel and Rhett. It would certainly be beneficial to him to have a third party to discuss his feelings towards Rhett and Rachel to, or if he felt too embarrassed to do that, he’d have the opportunity to have some intimacy as a distraction. Link smiled, deciding that it wasn’t the worst idea he could’ve had. With this, he took some time to make himself look presentable, styling his hair just as he liked it and putting on some clean clothes, before heading out the door.

 

He knew of a gay bar not too far from his apartment that served food. He’d gone a couple of times, once before coming out as bisexual and once after. He’d been far too shy to approach anyone, but he was much more determined now. So, he settled on heading there.

* * *

 

Link sat sipping slowly on a beer in a booth in the dim corner of the bar, dipping his finger in the crumbs left over from the onion rings he’d polished off. He’d noticed a couple of attractive guys who had been glancing in his direction, clearly interested in him, but they hadn’t come over, finding other men to chat with before they could make the decision to approach him. While he understood, and this didn’t hurt his self esteem at all, Link had more or less given up on finding somebody for himself. If his plan was already going so poorly, his chances of finding someone to bring home were looking more and more slim. Just when he was about to get up to settle his tab and head home with his metaphorical tail between his legs, a man who looked to be at least a couple years younger than him slipped into his booth.

His rather sudden presence surprised Link, who jumped slightly, choking momentarily on his tiny sip of beer.

“Mind if I sit here?” the young man asked smoothly, his head cocked suggestively to the side.

Link shook as he coughed, still choking. He attempted to take the moment to admire the man’s shaggy blond haircut. It wasn’t the type of look that Link typically found himself attracted to, but it worked well with the man’s face shape. Or, maybe Link was just feeling desperate...or intoxicated. Regardless, he smirked slightly and answered, “Well, you’re already sitting here, so I guess not.”

The man giggled, and the sound immediately made Link’s chest flutter with excitement. “I’m Chris,” he said with a smile, reaching his hand out to shake.

Link happily matched Chris’s firm grip. “Link. Nice to meet ya.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” the man grinned. “I noticed you when I walked in, and I immediately thought, ‘Hey, that guy looks familiar…’ I swear I’ve seen you somewhere before…”

Link blushed slightly. “Um, well, I work at the aquarium… Maybe that’s where?”

Chris’s face lit up. “Oh! I was there two weeks ago! That must’ve been it!”

The two talked about the aquarium for quite a while, and perhaps miraculously, the subject of the merman that was more or less dominating Link’s thoughts lately, was never brought up. Truthfully, talking to Chris had caused Link to feel lighter than he had in weeks. He was laughing loudly and without a care in the world.

The topic of their conversation eventually moved on to movies and TV, then to video games, and later music. They were pleasantly surprised by all the interests they shared, including their incredibly picky eating habits.

Link looked down at one point, though, only to find that he had been holding Chris’s hand. He wasn’t sure when they’d moved from friendly smiles to their fingers being intertwined on the tabletop, although perhaps it was somewhere between the second and third beer. While it surprised him to see that he was holding a near stranger’s hand, he didn’t try to take his own away. Oddly enough, it felt right. When he glanced back up to meet Chris’s gaze after an obvious pause, the man’s expression was one that could only be described as seductive—total bedroom eyes, frankly. Link bit his bottom lip and adjusted his glasses with his free hand as a warm blush crept onto his cheeks.

“It’s gotten pretty late,” Chris mused. “Would you be interested in coming back to my pad?”

The man’s use of the term ‘pad’ irked Link slightly, but he ignored it, about to hesitantly agree to the man’s proposition when he happened to glance at the television behind the bartender. The news was on, and they were doing a piece on the aquarium. More specifically, they were explaining the presence of a merman...of Rhett. The merman looked extremely happy, showing off for the camera, swimming around and teasingly flexing his impressive muscles for his audience.

“Link?” Chris pressed. “You wanna come with me?” The man winked at the double entendre he made, eagerly awaiting Link’s inevitable nod so he could lead him by the hand to god-knows-where. When Link remained silent, simply staring at their entwined fingers, Chris frowned. “Hey, Link? You wanna come with me, or what?”

Reality came crashing down all around Link. He ripped his hand away from Chris and he stammered, trying to form a sentence, but unable to think of what he wanted to say. After earning a confused look from Chris, in a rush, Link finally mumbled, “I’m sorry, this… This was a mistake.” He jumped out of the booth and darted out of the stuffy bar. Once in the chilly night air, he began pacing, rubbing his face with both of his hands. He was desperately trying to fight back tears, confused and furious at himself for not being able to escape his feelings for Rhett for any decent amount of time. With trembling hands, he fished his phone out of his left back pocket. He knew he shouldn’t drive himself home, due to both his slight intoxication as well as his emotional state. He could barely see through his teary eyes, blindly tapping the first contact that popped up. Luckily, it was Rachel that answered and not somebody like his father, for example.

“Hey, Link!” she said cheerily. “What’s up, darling?”

“Rachel, I,” he cried, not knowing what to tell the woman. “I, uh… I need help.”

There was a long silence before she finally responded. “Link? What’s wrong? Where are you? Are you drunk?” Her tone made it obvious that she was incredibly worried.

“I… I’m at that bar a few blocks from my apartment, and I… I need a lift, or...or something. I drove, but I… I can’t--”

“Link, stop talking,” she said in a rush. “I’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

Link hung up the phone without answering her. He sat down on the concrete, resting his head in his hands, and waited. He waited and waited, sitting there for what felt like hours. In reality, it was only ten minutes, but in his slightly intoxicated state, Link decided it had been too long. He peeled himself up from the ground and began walking in the direction of his apartment, shaking and attempting to wipe tears from his eyes as he continued on. He was just about to step off of the curb and into the street after the second block when a car slowed down next to him.

“Link! Fuck, man, I told you to stay put! You scared me!” Rachel called out from inside the car. “Get in!”

Link wasted no time in hopping into the passenger seat and fastening his seat belt. “Thanks,” he muttered, desperately trying to stop his tears.

“Please tell me this doesn’t have something to do with Rhett,” Rachel asked.

Link didn’t respond. He just stared out the window, attempting to dry his face with his shirt sleeves.

“Link, answer me,” she pressed.

Link chuckled to himself half-heartedly. Slurring, he mumbled, “Well, you told me not to tell you it had anything to do with Rhett, and I’m not a liar, so…”

Rachel sighed deeply. “God dammit, Link. Just tell him how you feel. Stop torturing yourself!”

“Just take me home,” the man grumbled. Suddenly, a memory popped into Link’s mind. The night before, he had promised Rhett that he’d bring him movies and popcorn after his shift. But he’d never shown up at work, and now he was more or less wasted. There was no way he could go in now, not in his current state. Feeling as if he had betrayed Rhett, he began to sob, his emotions tripled in intensity due to his drunken state.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays here's a VERY late update as a present lol (i'm so so sorry for the long absence omg)
> 
> (also you might want to check the updated tags before reading this)

When Link awoke, the first thing he noticed was his horrendous headache. Next, the nausea became apparent. He groaned in response to the feeling, rubbing his still-shut eyes.

“How ya feeling?” Rachel asked from beside him.

Link sprang upright, crying out in surprise. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Rachel, who was lying in his bed, smiling sleepily at his fright. “Rachel? What are you… Why are you here?” he asked, starting to panic slightly. “We didn't…?” Link was afraid to ask about what had happened between them. He feared he’d initiated something that he’d be uncomfortable with while sober. Sure, he and Rachel had been together plenty of times, but since that last attempt before admitting his feelings for Rhett, being with Rachel just didn’t seem... _right._

Link lifted the covers of the bed, shyly glancing down at himself to make sure he was clothed. He sighed in relief when he caught a glimpse of his boxers—the same pair he’d been wearing the say before.    

“Relax, sweetie,” she laughed. “Nothing happened. I was just worried about you, and I was a little too tired to drive home. I figured you wouldn't mind.”

Link visibly relaxed upon her reassurances, sighing and sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. “What happened last night?” he asked her, ashamed by the bits and pieces he _could_ remember of his drunken behavior.

“How much do you remember?” she asked, not sure where she should start recounting the events.

Link thought back to the night before, and while quite a lot of it was a blur in his mind, he did remember flirting with a man and panicking before walking out and calling Rachel. “The last thing I remember is calling you,” he admitted shamefully.

Rachel could sense how upset Link was regarding his behavior, so in an effort to soothe him, she rolled over and began to rub gentle circles on his back. “Well, I got you back here, and you cried a lot. You kept saying that you ‘betrayed Rhett’ and that he’d never forgive you… And I have no idea what you were talking about…”

Link groaned again. He wasn’t sure whether he was upset about not making it to the aquarium to watch a movie with Rhett like he had promised, or if he had felt that flirting with someone at the bar was some form of cheating. Despite suspecting the latter, he knew feeling that way was silly. He and Rhett were not in a relationship—he didn’t have any obligation to stay “faithful” to him. Yet, he still couldn’t help but feel disgusted by his actions. “I told him I’d watch a movie with him last night. I totally forgot,” Link told the woman, opting for the easier explanation. He stood and walked into the kitchen to find some pain killers, hoping to alleviate his throbbing headache.

Rachel followed, clearly not satisfied with his answer. “See, Link, I just don’t believe that. I don’t think you’re telling me the whole truth,” she muttered, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind as he swallowed some Tylenol. “You can tell me anything…”

A few weeks, or maybe even a few days, earlier, this would’ve comforted Link. However, for some reason, Rachel’s comment had angered him. He knew it wasn’t rational, so he tried his best to hide his initial reaction. “I know,” he said simply.

“Come on,” Rachel insisted. “Tell me what’s really going on! Maybe I can offer you some advice!”

Link managed to spin around in her embrace, facing her and frowning. “Rachel, please. I’m fine. I don’t need your advice. Shouldn’t we be getting to the aquarium soon?”

“Stop trying to change the subject! But yeah. You’re right,” she grumbled. Rachel squeezed Link tightly before giving up, letting him go. She hadn’t changed out of her clothes the night before, so she was already prepared to leave for work. Link had stripped down into his boxers at some point the night before, so he dragged his feet back into his bedroom to make himself look decent.

Rachel drove Link to the aquarium, as his car was still parked in the lot near the bar. They stopped for coffee on the way in, as Link needed some extra help waking up, and the coffee in the employee lounge wasn’t anything to get excited over.

* * *

 

With his backpack on his back, Link rushed to the trout exhibit, eager to see Rhett. He tried to act as casually as possible, not wanting to give anyone any reason to suspect that he had feelings for the merman.

“I’m so, so sorry I didn’t show up last night!” he let out in a rush before Rhett even noticed him approaching.

“HUMAN LINK!” Rhett bellowed, rushing to the side of the tank. Water splashed over the sides due to his speed. “I MISSED YOU! WHERE WERE YOU? WHAT KEPT YOU AWAY FROM OUR PLANS?!”

Link set his backpack down on the nearest bench before leaning  against the tank. “It’s a long story, but I’ll make it up to you. I brought two movies and a lot of popcorn.”

“WONDERFUL!” the merman responded, clapping his hands together loudly. “I CAN HARDLY WAIT!”

Link smiled broadly. The amount of relief he felt was practically overwhelming. He was sure that Rhett would be infuriated with him, but instead, he was just happy that he’d eventually made it. Then again, maybe it was just the promise of popcorn that made him so willing to forgive his mistake. Link didn’t want to dwell on it.

“Will I be answering the other humans’ questions today?” Rhett questioned, eyes wide.

Link shook his head. “Nope. You've got a free day,” he explained before drinking down a large amount of his beverage.

“What do you have in there?” the merman asked, intrigued.

Link popped the lid off of the cup and held it out for Rhett to examine. “It’s coffee,” he said. Rhett took the cup from him and stuck his nose in, inhaling deeply.

“It smells divine, Human Link!” he enthused. “May I indulge in some?”

Link looked around to make sure nobody was around. He didn't want to get busted again, after all. When he was confident that the coast was clear, he nodded. “Go ahead,” he said with a smile, eager to see what Rhett would think.

The merman took a hesitant sip, and immediately upon tasting the drink, his face scrunched up in disgust. He shook his head vigorously, holding the cup away from him. Link couldn't help but laugh hysterically at the merman’s reaction. He grabbed the cup back, not wanting Rhett to spill it in the tank.

“HUMANS DRINK THAT?!” he questioned loudly.

“Yeah! It's one of the most popular drinks there are,” he giggled.

Rhett shook his head. “I refuse to believe that claim!”

At that moment, Drew walked over. “Good morning, Link. Thanks again for handling the Girl Scouts event. I know your usual task is here with Rhett, but I need you on tiger shark duty today.”

Link nodded. “Yes, Sir. I'll head over there right away.” Sure, Link was disappointed that he wouldn't get to spend the entire day with Rhett. He had been looking forward to enjoying the sun with the merman without the responsibility of dealing with the large crowds and fielding questions. However, knowing that in just a few hours, he'd get to enjoy movies and popcorn with him, made the shift in duties sting a little less. Once Drew wandered off again, Link patted Rhett’s large arm in a friendly show of affection. “You be good today,” he teased, laughing.

Rhett grinned back, a sparkle in his eye that Link couldn't quite decipher. Part of him thought that maybe, Rhett was looking at him like he was more than just a friend. Despite his suspicion, he knew this was just wishful thinking. It was his own imagination playing tricks on him, making him believe that his feelings weren't just one-sided. He fought against sighing, though, knowing that Rhett would question its meaning.

“See ya later!” he called, forcing a happy tone. With that, he swung his backpack over his shoulder and headed to the employee lounge to put his stuff in his locker before really starting the day.  

* * *

 

Preparing food for the sharks was never something that Link enjoyed doing. He stood at the counter in the center of the large kitchen and popped open the jar of multivitamins for the tiger sharks first, then began to prepare the squids. When he had first been hired, there were a lot more things that bothered him, including the sharks themselves. He would’ve never thought that he’d soon be in the tank with them, just as comfortable with them as he would be if it were a dog swimming around him. One thing, however, that he knew he’d never get used to, was the squid. Shoving pills into squids never failed to make his stomach turn. In an effort to get through it, he kept picturing how much fun he would have when he was finished with his shift. He knew that a good movie, delicious popcorn, and an entertaining friend were all waiting for him, but first, he had to get the squids prepared.

Soon enough, he handed the shark food off to his coworkers before proceeding to clean the aquarium. As weird as a lot of people thought it was, Link really did enjoy vacuuming and wiping down the glass of the tanks. It was almost meditative for him, and with everything that he was dealing with lately, he was glad to have been assigned the task for the day.

* * *

 

Just as he had the first night they’d watched a movie together, as soon as his co-workers had left for the evening, Link set up a projector and popped some popcorn. Rhett had been off behind the rocks at the back of the tank, most likely napping while Link was setting up. It didn’t take the man long. A large bowl of popcorn was set on the ground by the tank and the title menu of his old Cinderella DVD was displayed against a white sheet he’d hung up. He splashed a bit in the water with his hand, trying to signal to Rhett that he was there, and calling his name for good measure.

Almost instantaneously, Rhett came darting out from behind the rocks, hair pushed back with his lightning fast speed. He popped up quickly, breaking the surface of the water with a surprisingly small splash. “Human Link! You have fulfilled your promise and brought another movie!” he grinned widely.

“I have,” he laughed softly. “You said you wanted to see another Disney movie, so I brought another classic. This one is called Cinderella…”

“That is an odd name,” Rhett frowned. “Are you sure this is a good movie?”

Link smiled. “Like I said, it's a _classic_. I think you’ll enjoy it,” he assured, hitting the play button before Rhett could question any other details.

Link picked up the popcorn bowl, grabbing a handful of the snack before handing it to Rhett, who ate happily.

The popcorn bowl was half empty when Rhett spoke up. “Human Link, you should be in the water with me!” he said.

Link raised an eyebrow. “What? Why?” he asked. He was confused. Why would Rhett want him in the tank? Wasn't this current set-up okay? It wasn't like Link being on dry land was hindering their ability to watch the movie together…

Before Link’s mind could overthink the situation too much, Rhett responded. “Because, Human Link. I’d prefer it if we were on the same level. I do not feel like we are truly spending time together due to this separation, and I cannot leave this tank. So, logically, you should enter it!”

Link thought things through. He did want to be closer to Rhett, if he were being honest with himself, but he didn’t want to have to go through the difficulty of getting back into the lockers to change into his wetsuit. “I think it’d be best if I stayed on dry land, Rhett,” Link explained. “I don't think I’ll be able to change into my wetsuit.”

Rhett gave Link a confused look. “Why would you do that?”

“So I don't have to get my clothes all wet?” Link offered, eyebrows raised.

The merman chuckled loudly. “Well, of course you don't! Merely take them off, Human Link! I am not wearing any clothes, it would just make us further equals!”

After a moment, Link realized his mouth was hanging open slightly in disbelief. “Uh… Well, I guess I could use my briefs as swim trunks,” he muttered, thinking to himself. He stared at the water in the tank for a moment before deciding to peel off his shirt and to step out of his shorts. Now wearing nothing but his red plaid underwear, he grabbed both the remote control and the bowl of popcorn, handing them to Rhett before he climbed into the tank, slowly lowering himself into the water. He gasped softly at the temperature, but quickly acclimated. Link took the remote back from the merman and hit the play button on the movie, keeping himself afloat by resting his elbows on the edge of the tank.

“Now, this is much better!” Rhett enthused, slapping Link on the back for emphasis, creating a small splash of water.

Link couldn’t help but smile softly at the touch. If he were being honest with himself, he would have agreed wholeheartedly. It felt amazing to be so close to Rhett. But, considering this was Link, he couldn’t relax, instead spending his time fighting against his own instincts to over-analyze the situation. He was only half paying attention to the small observations Rhett continued to make about the movie, but one in particular drew him from his anxiety-ridden headspace.

“I like Prince Eric better than this prince. Prince Eric looks more like you do,” he mused.

Link couldn’t help but gasp ever so slightly, hoping that, however unlikely it may be, Rhett hadn’t heard it. “Yeah?” he asked softly. “I can...kinda see that…”

Rhett nodded vigorously. “If there were ever a real performance of this story, I think you should fill his role. I can tell you are a good actor, Human Link. Of course, I am too observant for you to fool. I can tell when you are hiding something from me!” the merman grinned before nudging Link playfully.

Link could feel his face turning bright red, a slight stinging beginning to rise in his cheeks. How was he supposed to respond to that? Could Rhett really see through him so easily? Or was he just failing miserably at hiding his feelings from everyone? If the Girl Scouts managed to notice, why wouldn’t Rhett be able to? He definitely had been fidgeting and blushing a lot while around the merman, but he’d thought he’d been decent enough at playing his feelings off as nothing more than his usual eccentricities, considering Rhett hadn't known him long before his feelings developed. Panic began to set in, but Link tried to play it off as nothing. “Oh, yeah,” he laughed awkwardly, silently scolding himself as his voice cracked. “I dunno. I don’t think I’m too good at acting…”

“Perhaps not,” Rhett chuckled loudly. After that final remark, he dropped the subject, once more focusing on the film.

Link, however, could not help but play Rhett’s words over in his mind again and again, trying to determine what the merman really meant by them, if there was some deeper meaning at all. He was certainly happy to be so close to him again, the water warm and inviting. Despite his anxious mind, Link also found it almost comforting being so near to Rhett. He could feel the warmth radiating from his body, only adding to the temperature of the already warm body. It felt nice, although not nice enough to keep Link from overthinking even the tiniest of actions. He was essentially on autopilot the rest of the movie, not quite present, completely absorbed in his own head. His mind was racing so much that he could never quite fully relax.

In fact, that is how he spent the rest of his night: barely sleeping once he’d finally laid his head down on his pillow back home, instead focusing on every tiniest detail of the evening.

* * *

 

The next morning, Link arrived at the aquarium and immediately got changed into his scuba gear, as it was time to clean the trout (and Rhett’s) tank again. He was essentially on autopilot due to his lack of sleep the night before, not fully awake. Rhett eagerly greeted the man once he climbed into his tank, but Link barely acknowledged him. He nodded in his direction as a hello, but that was it. He handed Rhett a brush to help him scrub the glass, then pulled his mask on and swam under the water to begin his work. Aquarium guests began to gather around to watch the task, amazed to see both Link and the merman working on the chore side by side. Link didn’t mind the audience; he’d gotten used to it over time.

“Link, come look at this!” he heard Rhett yell from the bottom of the tank.

Link ignored him, instead scrubbing the same spot of the glas he’d been cleaning for a while now. He heard Rhett call his name a couple more times, but after a time, The merman had gotten tired of it and decided to take matters into his own hands. Swimming up from the bottom of the tank to where Link was and grabbing him by the wrist, he prepared to drag him back down with him (with gentle force, nothing more). He could tell that there was something bothering Link, and he had been sure that a particularly pretty shell he’d found on the bottom of the tank would cheer him up, hence the reason why he was willing to drag the man down with him.

Link, however, was struggling against the merman’s grasp. He couldn’t speak to him due to his breathing apparatus, so he just tried to wriggle his arm out of Rhett’s hand. He wasn’t in the mood to play around, and just wanted to get his task finished.

Confused as to why Link was fighting back, Rhett let go and turned, accidentally slapping Link in the face with the end of his tail. The unintended force of the blow was enough that Link’s entire mask was pushed off his face as a result of the accident. He reached out to grab it, but missed. His eyes widened and he attempted to swim for the mask to save himself, but Rhett took his hand and continued to pull him down towards the shell.

Link could feel his heart rate rising as panic began to set in. His chest was beginning to tighten as his body began to let him know that its air was quickly running out. He struggled harder and harder against Rhett’s grasp while still trying to reach out for the slowly sinking mask. He glanced out at the audience who were watching in stunned silence.

With each passing second, terror rose in Link as his lungs screamed at him more and more.

Soon, he was kicking his legs and struggling with all his might against the merman. He couldn’t help but whimper slightly, which is what finally caused Rhett to let go.

“What is the matter, Human Link?” he asked.

Link was horrified as he turned and began frantically swimming to the surface. He could sense a playfulness in Rhett’s aura and, in his exhausted and hysterical state, took it to mean that the merman had nearly drowned him on purpose. He was terrified of the creature that was now below him, his focus split between getting away from him and getting his much-needed oxygen. At just past the two minute mark, as his burning insides continued to scream in desperation, Link’s natural instinct to yell out and gasp for air kicked in, causing him to inhale salt water. His panicked flailing soon stopped, although he was still fighting to swim. **_He couldn’t move._ ** He felt like a _lifeless weight_ floating in the water. Link began to choke as his vision began to go black.

The last thing he consciously noted before blacking out was that somebody had firmly grasped his arm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the short update after another long break! There will be more soon!   
> (Also as always, thanks to [MythicalCatie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythicalCatie/pseuds/MythicalCatie) /[thefrenchmaidoutfit](http://thefrenchmaidoutfit.tumblr.com/) for beta reading for me!

Burning. Pressure holding him down. Somebody...hitting him? Shaking him? No, somebody giving him CPR. That’s what Link felt when his consciousness began to return, but everything was still just darkness. He couldn’t see, but he knew he was laying on the cold, hard, wet concrete. He wasn’t coherent enough to form any distinct thoughts, but he _ was  _ cognizant enough to realize that he was  _ alive _ . Link felt himself being rolled over and suddenly, he was coughing, choking up water. The action was accompanied by more of that excruciating burning feeling. Finally, he was able to gasp for air, despite the pain it caused. Still coughing, his eyes opened weakly. Initially, the sunlight nearly blinded him, but his surroundings slowly began to come into focus. 

There were three paramedics kneeling beside him, two on his right and one on his left, their faces hovering over his own. While he couldn’t quite make out any specific faces, he could see his coworkers and possibly some aquarium guests standing around, muttering nervously amongst themselves. Once Link began to cough, applause erupted from the group of people nearby. Link’s ability to process his surroundings were coming in waves—it seemed as if he was looking at the world through snapshots. 

Before he knew it, he was on a stretcher. The next moment, he was in an ambulance. And then, he was nice and warm under blankets in a hospital room, the beeping of different monitors filling the room. He was being held for observation, he was told. They wanted to make sure he was stable enough. Link could barely speak—it still burned to breathe, forget about trying to make words come out along with the air. He felt so weak after the ordeal that all he wanted to do was sleep, but the pain wouldn’t let him. 

Instead, he stared up into the fluorescent lights above his bed as his mind replayed the traumatic scene from earlier. He was just trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. What had he done to allow himself to get hurt like that? He was usually so careful… Rhett. It was Rhett. Of course it was. It was his trust of the merman. He should have never let his guard down like he had. When he had first come face to face with the creature, he had sensed his overwhelming, intimidating power, but at some point, he had forgotten all about it, and _ that _ was his near fatal mistake. 

Link sighed when there was a knock on the door, expecting it to be another nurse. Much to his surprise, however, it was Rachel that walked in, and it was clear from her expression that she was in panic mode. She rushed in and dropped down into the chair beside Link’s bed, grabbing his hand that was not currently stuck with an IV and holding it tight. 

“Hey,” he croaked, his voice weak. He grimaced at the pain it caused.

“Shhhhh, you don’t have to say anything, Link,” she breathed, clearly concerned. “I can’t believe I missed all the commotion… I wish I was there to help…”

Link closed his eyes and shook his head. Rachel’s words made his heart sink. He could tell she was halfway blaming herself for what had happened, and he wished he could assure her that there was nothing that she could have done. That he was just glad she was there by his side  _ now _ . But he couldn’t. He was in too much pain, so a simple shake of his head would have to suffice. 

“I… I just assumed you’d want some company, but I can go if you want,” she muttered, unsure whether or not she was welcome.  It certainly wasn’t clear by Link’s body language.

Link squeezed her hand, signalling that he did , in fact, want her to stay. She was the only person he would have hoped to see there by his side. He re-opened his eyes, staring up at her soft features. The flourescent lights of the hospital surely weren’t the most flattering for anybody, but that didn’t stop Link from finding Rachel absolutely beautiful in that moment. Sure, he was incredibly fatigued and still sort of out of it, but suddenly, his love for the woman was all he could focus on. Maybe the sudden flood of thoughts of pure adoration for her was simply due to his exhaustion. Maybe he just needed a nap.

Regardless of the reasoning behind these thoughts, they still felt nice. The tiniest hint of a smile formed on his lips as he looked up at her, a gesture which caused Rachel to visibly relax. She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, squeezing his hand right back. 

“I can’t believe I almost lost you,” she said after a few moments of comfortable silence. “I have no idea what I would have done… Rhett did this?”

Link nodded, looking down at himself, the beginnings of the smile immediately disappearing again. He felt ashamed. How could have been so  _ stupid _ ? This was all his fault.  _ He _ was the one being reckless; Rhett didn’t do anything wrong. The merman was just eager to share something with him, from what little he could remember from before the incident. 

“I’m sorry,” she breathed, kissing his forehead again. “I’m just glad you’re okay. That’s all that matters.”

Link closed his eyes as Rachel leaned over the metal bar running along the edge of the bed and gently wrapped her arms around his torso, being careful not to disturb any of the wires plugged into him. It was in that very moment that Link realized something. He should have never let Rachel go. He thought back to all the fun nights out they had shared, which were nothing compared to the time they spent relaxing together at home. He remembered one morning when he had attempted to make her pancakes, but ended up splattering batter all over the kitchen. She had thought it was the cutest thing. It was the sweet little moments like that which allowed Link to finally recognize one thing: separating from her was the worst mistake he’d made in his life. Well, except for getting into that tank with Rhett. That probably surpassed the break-up as an overall horrible decision. If he had been able to speak, Link probably would have asked to get back together with her right then and there. But he couldn’t, so he merely closed his eyes and tried his best to relax into her awkward embrace despite all the wires and discomfort and burning pain.

* * *

 

Link was laying in bed, back at his apartment. It had been three days since he’d been discharged from the hospital, and after what felt like an eternity of being forced to endure sometimes painful, but mostly just annoying, tests being run and nurses not letting him get any sleep, Link was taking all the time he could get to relax in his own bed with no interruptions. It still hurt to breathe, but he could feel himself slowly getting better. Rachel would stop by every night with In-n-Out, because she knew Link and was certain that if it weren’t for her, he probably wouldn’t be eating dinner. In fact, she had just left after their latest meal together, and Link was now attempting to take a nap. However, his mind wouldn’t let him relax. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every time she left, Link felt down again. He just wanted to be with Rachel. Since that first day she came to visit him in the hospital, Link knew he needed to get back with her. 

He sighed deeply, but instantly regretted it due to the burning sensation that accompanied it. Link knew that Rachel had told him that she’d be there if he ever wanted to get back together, but that didn’t make him feel any less awkward about the situation. How would he ask her to move back in without sounding like—or feeling like—a failure? They’d separated in the first place so that he could explore his bisexuality, but all he’d managed to accomplish was developing a crush on a _ fish _ man and running out on a few guys in bars. 

But Link knew that the one thing—the one person—that he needed in his life was Rachel. In that one moment at the aquarium, the one that was probably over in the blink of an eye yet felt like an eternity as Link felt his life slipping away, all of his trust in and feelings for Rhett had disappeared. Rhett would always be confined to that stupid tank, or maybe even to the ocean if he ever got released, but that was doubtful. The scientists would never give him up. But Rachel… Rachel was there right by his side through all of the chest x-rays and blood tests. The only time she wasn’t there holding his hand was when the doctors wouldn’t allow her to be. Link was mentally kicking himself for not realizing that Rachel was and always would be the one person he could rely on most. The mere thought of asking Rachel out on a date gave him a slight fluttery feeling in his chest despite the fact that he had previously been in a long-term relationship with the woman… The butterflies he felt had, as of late, been only associated with thoughts of Rhett, but that was seemingly at its end. 

Link knew he would wait at least a few more days to bring it up to Rachel. It still hurt to breathe, and even though he could manage sentences up to a few short words now, he really wanted to wait until he could speak semi-comfortably before trying to start such a big conversation. Just the thought of it was enough to make Link excited. That being said, he needed sleep, so he needed to make an attempt to relax and calm himself down. If he didn’t get his mind off of the woman, he wouldn’t be able to get any rest, instead just anxiously rehearsing what he was going to say to her in his own head. Link wandered into the kitchen to make himself some tea before laying down for the night.Tea had always helped to calm him down in the past, so he hoped tonight would be no different and that it would allow him to put aside thoughts of Rachel long enough for sleep to take over.  Maybe, just maybe, he’d get lucky. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'll be uploading the final parts on Wednesdays and Fridays! There's four left, already written! I'm excited for you all to read it! ♥♥   
> As always, thanks to [Catie](http://thefrenchmaidoutfit.tumblr.com/) for keeping me in line so I could get this done so quickly! You guys have her to thank lol!

Link was placing pills for the sharks within the squids for feeding time later. He had been placed on simple tasks that day, as his boss didn’t want him anywhere near Rhett and the trout tank for at least some time. Link was extremely grateful for this. He didn’t want to have a breakdown at work, after all. Being in Rhett’s presence would either upset him due to his previous crush on the creature or give him a panic attack over the accident  that had occured . Either way, nothing good would come from him spending time with the merman. As soon as he was finished preparing the shark food, he handed it off to those in charge of the feeding and walked through the halls to find the cleaning supplies. 

Next on his task list was vacuuming the carpets in the building, something he genuinely enjoyed doing. On his way there, he spotted Rachel entering the break room, and he could feel his face heating up with a blush. He took a deep breath to steady himself and kept walking. He had decided that morning that today would be the day. He was going to ask Rachel if she’d go out with him again, and maybe, if he was feeling extra brave, to move back in with him.

He promised himself he’d ask her that day, but he didn’t feel ready yet. It’d have to be later. He continued down the hallway, but froze. No. Link knew himself, and if he didn’t go ask her right that moment, he probably wouldn’t end up doing it at all. He wouldn’t want to during their lunch break because their coworkers would be in the break room as well. It wouldn’t give them any privacy. After lunch, who knows how busy Rachel would be ? Now was his chance. 

He left the vacuum there in the hall and doubled back, following the woman into the otherwise empty breakroom. “Hey, Rachel,” he said, voice still raspy from the accident. The pain was almost completely gone by now, however. 

“Hey! How are you doing? How’s your first day back going?” she asked with a large grin after pulling him in for a tight hug. It had been a few days since they’d seen each other.

“I’m alright. I, uh… There’s something I wanted to talk to you about, actually,” he explained, rubbing the stubble that had grown in while he’d been on break. He just hadn’t had the energy to keep up with shaving during recovery. 

“Is it about Rhett?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

Link chewed on his bottom lip. “No, no it isn’t,” he started, but quickly corrected himself. “Well, sort of. But it’s mostly about you.”

Rachel frowned with confusion. “Okay, you’ve got me curious. What’s up?” she pressed.

Link took a deep breath, trying to ignore all of the anxiety fueled thoughts telling him to shut up and walk away. Pushing past his own nerves, he simply forced himself to begin talking. “So, after the accident, like immediately after, I realized how silly it was for me to have any sort of feelings for Rhett.”

“Link-” Rachel started, but Link continued. 

“It was irresponsible and frankly, it was childish of me to think of him in that way at all. I made a mistake, and I almost got killed because of it. And I know the adult thing to do, the responsible thing to do, would be to get back with you. I was stupid for ever leaving.” Link clenched his jaw, anxiously waiting for Rachel to reply.

She looked at the floor and sighed, shaking her head. “Link, us breaking up wasn’t… It wasn’t your… You wanted to experience guys. That’s fine. It wasn’t irresponsible,” she explained.

“I don’t want to anymore, Rachel. You’re the one who’s always been by my side. You’re always there for me. I should never have let that go. I was the luckiest guy out there when we were together. I mean, I still am. You were there for me in the hospital when nobody else was!” he enthused, his volume raising slightly. He reached forward and took her hands in his, not realizing that she had stepped away from him slightly. “What do you say we get back together? You can move back in and pretend like none of this ever happened!”

Rachel let out a long, deep sigh before she finally looked up and made eye contact with Link. He was looking down at her like an eager puppy dog, and the last thing she wanted to do was break his heart. “Link, I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“Why not? Your landlord loves you! He’ll let you out of your lease early! You can be back at my place—  _ our _ place— by the end of the week!” he insisted.

“I can’t,” Rachel repeated. “I can’t, because I… I’m seeing somebody else, Link.”

Link’s face fell and he felt his heart sink into his stomach. His whole body went cold. He was frozen in place for a moment, trying to process what she had just said. He couldn’t have heard her right. She had told him that she’d always be there if he wanted to get back together. She had said she’d be waiting for him… Link had always known that she was free to do what she wanted, and that there were no guarantees, but  _ still _ . He would have thought she would’ve told him about meeting another guy. Link quickly let go of her hands and stepped back. 

“You… Are you serious?” he asked, scratchy voice trembling slightly as he tried to hold back his emotions. 

Rachel nodded slowly. “Link, I’m sorry. I was going to tell you. His name is Chris. He-”

“Stop,” Link said, holding out a shaky hand. “Just… Don’t. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I…” Link couldn’t think straight, let alone form any coherent sentences. He turned and ran out of the room, jogging down the hallway and into the locker rooms. Luckily, none of his coworkers were in there with him, allowing him to let out his anger, frustration, and sadness all in one explosive burst of emotion without being seen.

He threw a punch at his locker as tears began to stream down his cheeks. He clenched his fist and shook out his hand, hissing as pain shot up his arm. He sat down on the floor with his back against the lockers as he sobbed both from the emotions and from the pain now in his hand. His knuckles were bleeding slightly, but he didn’t care. He buried his head in his hands and let himself cry until he had exhausted himself, which wasn’t for very long.

Link never thought he’d need to have a backup plan in place. What was he supposed to do now that Rachel had said no? Was he just supposed to die alone? He’d figure that out later. For now, it was time to get out there and get back to work. Link opened his locker and pulled out a dirty shirt that he’d kept forgetting to bring home and wash, using it to attempt to dry his eyes. 

Once he deemed himself to be semi-presentable, he returned to his vacuum and got back to cleaning. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post the next part earlier than I said I was going to lol. Couldn't help it. Hopefully you guys enjoy the update! ♥♥

Link walked into the aquarium Wednesday morning with his fresh cup of coffee, trying to prepare himself for the day ahead. He’d been avoiding Rachel at all costs, which was proving to be more difficult than he’d thought it’d be. He’d thoroughly humiliated himself that Monday, and he knew she could tell he had had a breakdown after their talk. His puffy, red eyes and bleeding knuckles were enough for anyone to be able to guess as much. His knuckles still hurt, but were healing up already. He knew he was lucky that he hadn’t broken his hand. He rolled his eyes at himself,  thinking of the event . Even though he was still upset, he knew how absolutely childish he had been that day. Well, most days, recently. Link knew he needed to get his shit together. 

He took a long sip of coffee as he walked through the halls to the locker room, but just as he was about to enter, he was stopped by his boss. 

“Mornin’,” Link said with a polite smile, hoping the conversation would be short. He wasn’t in the mood for any small talk. However, the expression on Drew’s face made it clear that he had something serious to talk to him about.

“Link, how are you feeling?” he questioned, ignoring the other man’s greeting.

“I’m doing just fine. Why?” he more or less lied. He was feeling much better after the accident, but his hand hurt like the devil and his ego was bruised even worse.

“I’m really sorry, but I can’t find anyone to cover the trout exhibit this morning. Lizzie is going to take the afternoon shift, but-”

“I can do it. It’s fine,” Link said, trying to sound confident. 

“Are you sure? We can just keep it closed this morning if you-”

“No. Really. It’s fine,” Link said, pushing past Drew and entering the locker room. He sighed deeply as he put his backpack into his now dented locker. If he was being honest, the last thing he wanted to do was spend time with Rhett. Not after the accident, and not after the conversation he’d had with Rachel. The timing couldn't have been worse. But he also wanted to be there for the aquarium, and if that meant spending a couple of hours with Rhett, then he’d do it. 

As Link rounded the corner to the trout tank, he prayed that Rhett would still be asleep for some reason or another, whatever it may be . He typically woke up early, but Link was hoping that just this once, he could catch a break. However, there was Rhett, lounging on his rock and sunbathing in the gentle morning rays. 

“HUMAN LINK!” Rhett bellowed, spotting the man almost immediately upon his arrival. He dove into the water and swam over as quickly as he could. “Human Link, I have missed you!” 

Link tried his best to keep his eyes glued to the cement ground, but he couldn’t help himself  when it came to looking at Rhett . He glanced up slowly, first spotting the shimmering scales of blues and greens of Rhett’s tail, then up past his muscular chest and finally landing on those intimidating green eyes. How could he have been so naive? He and Rhett were from completely different worlds. The eyes he looked into now did not belong to anyone he could ever begin to call his own. Rhett was not human. It was simple as that. His upper half certainly looked more human than fish, but he was still dangerous. 

Link anthropomorphised the merman, the number one thing he had been taught to avoid when handling the other creatures in the aquarium. Rhett was a powerful creature  who had to be treated as such. The fact that he seemed to enjoy Disney movies and popcorn didn’t make a difference. He was still capable of hurting somebody, and Link had to be reminded of that the hard way.

“Human Link, speak to me!” Rhett begged, the look in his eyes going soft.

Link wouldn’t let that fool him. Not again. He stayed silent and clenched his jaw, trying to stay calm and get to work. All Link needed to do was make sure that the equipment for the tank was still running smoothly. He walked around the tank checking the equipment and throwing the food for the trout into the tank. They were reopening the exhibit for the first time since the accident,  at least according to what he’d heard. Rhett was already aware of this, so once Link was finished with the maintenance that needed to be done, he merely stood with his back to the tank with his arms crossed, just out of the merman’s reach.

Despite the fact that Link was giving him nothing to work with, Rhett did not give up on trying to get the human’s attention. “Human Link, I am deeply apologetic. I am still not quite sure what happened when I last saw you,” he said, his voice softer with each word.

Link’s resolve was not shaken, however. He remained firmly planted with his back to the tank.

“I missed you,” Rhett stated in one final attempt after nearly an hour.

Link closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He started to turn around, but froze. No. He wasn’t going to give in. He checked the time and realized it was already almost time for lunch. He could waste some time by wandering the halls until then, certain that he wouldn’t get busted. And even if he did, he could always make the excuse that it was making him too uncomfortable being back at that tank.

The remainder of Link’s day was relaxing, and frankly, just what he needed. His only tasks were to essentially do more custodial work such as vacuuming and wiping down the glass of tanks in the tunnels. He was more than happy to complete these sorts of tasks on a normal day, but he was  especially  grateful that he could now, considering it allowed him to avoid both Rachel and Rhett. Of course, Link was teased by his coworkers over how much he truly enjoyed cleaning, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary, and he didn’t mind. 

* * *

 

Soon enough, the sun was low on the horizon and it was nearing closing time. Link headed back to his locker to get his backpack and prepare for his journey home. If he had been thinking things through, he would have exited through the main doors of the building in order to avoid Rhett. However, he was in a sort of trance from his afternoon chores, and consequently, he was running on autopilot. This caused him to go the route he most often took, which went right past the trout exhibit. He was startled back into reality when the merman called out his name.

“Human Link!” the creature bellowed, causing him to jump slightly. “Please talk to me! You have me quite worried!”

Link sighed and closed his eyes. He was silent for some time before he finally gave up on giving Rhett the silent treatment. He was being  kind of  an asshole, he decided. “Rhett, I… I made a mistake, and—”

“Why does your voice sound like that?” Rhett questioned loudly upon hearing the raspiness.

“Because you nearly killed me, man,” Link said bluntly.

Rhett scoffed. “I did no such thing!”

Link rolled his eyes and stepped back slightly. “What did you think happened the last time I was here?”

Now, it was Rhett’s turn to be quiet while he thought over the events of that fateful day. “I… I am not sure,” he admitted.

“Humans can’t breathe underwater, Rhett,” Link said, certain he already knew that. If any of the tales of mermaids and sirens were correct, they were very familiar with that fact. Rhett had to have known that. For all Link knew, he had done what he did on purpose.

Rhett’s eyes widened. “But, Human Link. You stay underwater for ages while we clean my tank!”

At Rhett’s obvious surprise and confusion, Link’s heart sank slightly. Did he really not understand what he had done? “That’s… I wear something to help me breathe while I do that. There’s an oxygen tank on my back so I can get air,” he explained, voice softening. “You knocked it off, so I inhaled water, which we humans can’t do.”

Rhett quickly swam off, and Link frowned. “I guess that’s that, then,” he said to himself, turning to leave. Before he could take a step, however, Rhett had returned.

The merman held out a glistening abalone shell. It was shimmering in Rhett’s hands, and Link couldn’t help but be drawn to it. 

“What’s that for?” Link questioned suspiciously. 

“It was what I wanted to show you before,” he said in the softest voice that Link had heard come from his mouth to date. “I thought it was stunning, and I wanted you to have it.”

Link stared at the shell. It was all because of that one shell. He almost died because of a fucking  _ shell _ . Two weeks ago, he would have just melted when Rhett said what he had. And if Link were being honest with himself, there was still a hint of that fluttery feeling in his chest that he got around a crush. But not nearly to the extent that it had been before… Before  _ that shell  _ nearly caused—

“And I see you remembered!” Rhett added, holding the shell out even further.

Link raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Remembered what?” he questioned, having absolutely no idea what the merman was referring to. 

Rhett grinned, rubbing his own cheek. “I was right! You do look very, very nice with some facial hair. Fantastic, even, Human Link! I think you should keep growing it, if you can! I have seen plenty of humans with beards longer than my own, so I am sure you could do it!”

“Rhett, please,” Link sighed. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what, Human Link?” he asked. But without waiting for an answer, he added, “When I saw this shell, it reminded me of you. It does not quite match up to how stunning you are, however. Please take it?”

Those words did Link in. His face was heating up now, beginning to burn, even, his heart plummeting into his stomach. Of course what Rhett had done was an accident. Link should have known better. He looked to the concrete and sighed deeply. As much as he wanted to now, he still couldn’t bring himself to take that shell from Rhett. He was beginning to forgive the merman, but that didn’t mean that he was comfortable getting anywhere near him,  at least not yet. Nearly getting killed can do that to a person.

“Human Link? May I tell you something?” Rhett asked.

Link glanced up. “What is it?” he asked with another sigh, afraid of what Rhett was about to say.

“From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were different from the other humans. You do not treat me like some spectacle. You treated me like a friend. It was not immediate, yet within days of making your acquaintance, I began to… I am not sure how humans phrase it…” Rhett paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, and while he did, Link’s eyes widened. He couldn’t possibly be saying what he thought he was, could he be? “Human Link, I told you my story very early on. I explained that I was to be married to a lovely mermaid and had fallen in love, correct?” 

Link nodded slowly, his mouth hanging open slightly. He hadn’t realized it, but he had taken a couple of tiny steps closer to Rhett. “Y… Yeah…” he muttered, in a daze.

“Well, I was mistaken. I was not in love with her. She was a gorgeous mermaid. She was kind, and loving, and anything I could have asked for. Or so I thought. You, Human Link, surpass her in every way.  _ You _ are all I can think of.  _ You _ are what I dream about at night. Even this magnificent shell is so extremely dull in comparison to how spectacular you are in my eyes. But, as I am confined to this tank, it is the only thing I can find that even begins to come close. Please, take it. It was originally meant to be a gesture of courtship, but now it is also an apology.”

Link was in complete and utter shock. He was dreaming, right? He must have fallen asleep in the breakroom. There was no way in hell this was happening. However, as if his body was moving of its own accord, he took the last remaining steps needed to close the distance between where he stood and the wall of Rhett’s tank. The merman took Link’s hand and turned it over, placing the shell in his palm. 

“It is yours,” Rhett said seriously.

Link gulped and stared at the glistening object. He had no idea what to say, let alone what to think. He couldn’t accept what Rhett was telling him, could he? That morning, he’d finally come to the conclusion that having feelings for a merman was childish at best and deadly at worst. But now… 

Link slowly looked up from the shell, and with his free hand, reached out to caress the creature’s damp cheek. His breath hitched in his throat at the sensation of his skin. It was quite a lot like a human’s, but it was slicker. It felt… nice. And running his fingers through his beard was even nicer. It felt right.

Rhett reached a hand up and covered Link’s, smiling warmly. “Human Link, I adore you, truly. I never would have tried to take you to the shell had I known what I know now. Please, will you forgive me? I will not be able to live with myself if you continue to be as angry as you are.”

That was all Link needed to hear. He leaned in, and surprising both himself and Rhett, kissed the merman hard on the mouth. Link hadn’t kissed anyone like that in months, maybe even years, the heat of the moment making him lose all control. Their lips moved together in unison, but rather quickly, Link stumbled back for air and to steady himself. “Shit,” he cursed. 

Rhett’s eyes were wide in shock. “Human Link, do you feel the same way?” he questioned.

Link nodded slowly. “I… I did, and then I didn’t, but… I think… I do again,” he stammered.

Rhett clapped his hands together once, then spun in a circle, causing water to splash over the sides of the tank. “How fantastic!” he enthused loudly. “Oh, I have never been happier! Human Link, we must—”

“I have to go,” Link blurted out suddenly. Panic was beginning to set in. What had he just done? Everything he had decided on, all of the progress he had made, he had just thrown out the window. Afraid he had just made the most foolish decision of his life— well, save for maybe breaking things off with Rachel to begin with— Link needed to escape from the situation so he could gather his own thoughts. Without so much as another word for Rhett, he ran off. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a little short, but the next one will definitely make up for it! Promise!

Link was lying on the couch staring at the shelf on the wall above his TV. He’d been watching a movie in an attempt to get his mind off of things, but once it ended, he made no move to get up. Instead, his eyes traveled from the screen to the shelf, where he had placed the abalone shell from Rhett. Now, in his half-awake state, he almost felt as if the shell was mocking him. He wanted so badly to hate the object. It had almost gotten him killed, after all. But now, things were complicated. Now, it was supposed to be a symbol of love. Link really had thought that he’d gotten over Rhett since the accident, but with the merman’s speech earlier that same evening, it was like none of that had even happened. Link was trying so hard to fight off the returning feelings for the creature, but it didn’t seem to be working. 

He glanced down at his phone, desperately wanting to call Rachel. She’d always been somebody he could run his problems by, any time of day or night. But was that still the case now that she was with somebody else? How serious were they? Had she already moved in with him? All these questions ran through Link’s head as he tried to decide whether or not she’d be okay with him calling her. Maybe she was already asleep. It was nearing 2 am, after all. With one more glance at the shell, Link made up his mind. If she didn’t want to talk to him, she didn’t have to answer. But he really needed to talk to somebody, and she was his best bet… His  _ only _ bet. He had to try.

He clicked on her contact and waited, wondering if she really would pick up. But sure enough, she did.

“Hey, babe! What’s up?” she asked, clearly wide awake.

“You sure you should still be calling me that?” Link mumbled, rubbing his tired eyes. He was sure that Chris guy, or whatever his name was, wouldn’t appreciate her calling her ex fiancé ‘babe.’

“C’mon, you know I call a lot of people that,” she laughed, and Link could have sworn he heard a guy chuckle in the background. His stomach lurched at the sound. He’d never really been the jealous type, but hearing that… It hurt. It hurt a lot.

“You know, this was a mistake. Nevermind,” he said softly, moving to hang up.

Rachel spoke up, however. “No, no. I know you, and if you’re calling this late, something’s wrong. Talk to me!”

Link was quiet for a long time, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to decide whether or not he should tell her, and if he should, how to even begin. “Um…” he muttered.

“Out with it! Is it about Rhett?” she asked.

Link let out a small noise of confirmation.

“What’d he do? Are you okay?” she asked, speaking quieter now. Link appreciated this. He wasn’t sure he wanted Rachel’s new boyfriend knowing all about his embarrassing secrets.

“He, uh… He gave me a shell,” he said awkwardly.

“A shell? And why is that a big deal?” 

“Because it was what he was trying to show me when I nearly drowned. And he confessed his love. Said it was a symbol of courtship or some shit,” Link grumbled.

The line was quiet for a long time. So long, in fact, that Link wondered if the call had disconnected. Finally, however, Rachel spoke up. Or, she started to. “Link, that’s—”

“Baaaabe, come back to bed!” Link could hear a man’s voice whine from the background.

Link clenched his jaw in frustration. What right did this asshole have to tell Rachel to get off the phone? Link hated to feel jealous, but he couldn’t help it. Rachel had been his best friend for nearly as long as he’d been in Los Angeles, and now this new guy was getting in the way. “Yeah, you should probably go. I shouldn’t have called,” Link mumbled. Once again, Rachel tried to respond, but Link just… hung up. 

Link tossed his phone to the side and got up, heading to bed himself. Rachel was clearly busy and wouldn’t have as much time to deal with his drama anymore. Link knew it was unfair to her, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still be mad about it. He’d have to deal with his Rhett problem on his own. Was it even a problem? He wasn’t even sure about that. Regardless, he’d still be handling it alone.

* * *

 

For his Thursday shift, Link was once again placed on simple duties such as preparing food for the fish and vacuuming. Drew still wasn’t comfortable assigning him to Rhett’s exhibit, and Link definitely didn’t mind. Things were certainly different since the night before, but that didn’t mean he wanted to spend all day with the merman. Sure, he wasn’t furious and terrified anymore, but a hint of anger was still there. Even though he now knew the whole thing really had been an innocent mistake on Rhett’s part, Link still had the right to be mad at him,  or  so he thought. Their little chat, or rather, Rhett’s speech, the night before also made it so Link would prefer not to face him quite yet. Having had more time to think things over, Link was certain that his feelings for Rhett had never left, but that he had just managed to convince himself that they had once he decided on getting back with Rachel. However, that did not mean that he was comfortable with the idea of having a relationship  with Rhett that was anything more than platonic . The guy had a tail and was trapped in a tank, for God’s sake. So, in short, Link was more than happy to avoid that area of the aquarium for yet another day. 

At one point, not long after Link had finished with his lunch break, however, things got a little more complicated. He was walking the vacuum back to the storage closet where it was kept when he was stopped by Ben, the head marine biologist in the on-site lab. 

“Link, man! I need a favor,” he said, slightly out of breath. It was obvious that he had been searching for him.

“What’s up?” Link asked absentmindedly, not at all prepared for what was coming.

“I need you to get another sample of that crazy light-up merman jizz for me sometime in the next couple of days,” he said with a chuckle, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Link’s eyes widened and jaw dropped, but as soon as he realized it, he closed his mouth. “I, uh…” he stammered, trying to fight off a blush. “And how do you suggest I go about doing that?” Link managed to question,  struggling to sound totally in control and not at all flustered.

Ben pulled a specimen jar out of the pocket of his lab coat, handing it to Link, who stared at it anxiously. “I don’t care how you do it. Tell him whatever you want, just get him to do it into this cup. Or get it in there like you did before, but I’d bet the guy’d want some privacy. I know I do,” he winked. 

Link closed his eyes. He truly felt like dying in that moment. How the hell was he going to ask Rhett to do that, especially after the conversation they’d had less than 24 hours earlier? 

Without waiting for Link to respond, Ben patted him on the shoulder and said, “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Just leave it in the little freezer in the corner by my desk so it doesn’t die again.” And with that, he left Link alone in the hallway holding the small, empty jar. 

Link couldn’t move for quite some time, internally panicking over how the hell he was going to get the sample. He took a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself, then continued on his mission to put the vacuum away. He’d figure it out, he was sure. Or, he hoped. But that was something to worry about later. For now, he could focus, or try to focus, solely on cleaning. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~*merman smut ahead*~
> 
> I haven't written anything like this in a long time so go easy on me lol! ♥

The end of the workday came all too soon for Link. Up until his meeting with Ben, Link couldn’t wait to be able to go home. But now, that meant he had run out of time. He needed to go drop the specimen jar off to Rhett. He got his backpack from his locker and was prepared to leave, his plan being to simply hand over the jar, go for a walk, and collect it when the merman had finished so he could drop it off in the lab before heading home. 

When he arrived at Rhett’s tank, he could already feel his face heating up. Getting the words out would be extremely difficult, but he knew he’d just have to power through. 

“Human Link! How was your day, my dearest?” the merman questioned, swimming to the edge as quickly as he could so that he could be as close to the man as possible. 

“It was okay,” Link said with a gulp. “Hey, um… I know this is weird, but I, uh… I need a favor…” He didn’t sound nearly as confident as he’d hoped he would.

“Anything for you!” Rhett assured loudly. 

Link closed his eyes and removed the jar from one of the pockets of his backpack. “The lab wants, um…” Link paused, scratching his head as he tried to think of how he could ask without it being too weird. “The lab needs you to ejaculate into this specimen jar for analysis,” he choked out, staring at the ground. He figured it’d be best to stick with the medical terms  regardless of  whether or not Rhett called it something different. He held out the little plastic cup for Rhett to take, silently pleading for him to just grab it and get it over with so he could go home. When the merman made no moves to take it, Link worked up the courage to look up at him. 

Rhett’s head was cocked to the side and he had a look in his eye that Link couldn’t quite place. “Well, I would be happy to provide them with what they need,” he said slowly, nodding. “But you appear as if you are leaving…” Rhett sounded confused, which in turn confused Link.

“Yeah? I’m gonna give you some privacy with this jar, then I’m taking it to the lab and going home,” Link said, not intending to sound irritated.

“Join me,” Rhett said, his tone sounding more like he was instructing Link to do so rather than suggesting or even asking.

“What?!” Link asked, voice cracking as his eyes blew open wide. “No, I can’t.  Nooooo, no, no. Just take the jar, ” he said, trying to get Rhett to take the cup from him. Link really needed to get out of there. His brain was starting to produce thoughts such as, _ “Well, why not? Everyone’s gone home by now,”  _ and, _ “You haven’t gotten laid in ages, you deserve a bit of fun.” _ Link wasn’t about to accept it.

Link jumped slightly at the feeling of Rhett’s large hand suddenly caressing his cheek, the soft, wet thumb tracing over his skin and drawing goosebumps to the surface. His heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest and his stomach felt like it was in his throat, but he didn’t make any moves to escape. 

“It would be my honor to give you all the pleasure in the world,” Rhett stated, voice as confident as ever, with an added purr to it that made Link want to melt where he stood. 

Link inhaled a shaky breath and glanced around. There was a security camera pointed directly at the trout tank, and he knew full well there were security officers watching the recordings all night long. “We can’t do that, Rhett,” Link stammered, eyes glued to the camera in question. “We can’t.”

Weeks ago, Link had explained what the camera was to Rhett, when he had questioned what the device was. Therefore, he knew exactly what was on Link’s mind. “I do not care who sees, Human Link. The whole world can know how strong my love for you is! I welcome it, in fact!”

Link shuffled back quickly, shaking his head. “Jesus, Rhett! No!” he gasped, shaking his head. 

“My apologies. I was unaware you were a shy type. Clearly that crossed a line!” Rhett let out in a rush, immediately backtracking. “There must be a way to cover up the object!”

Link sighed deeply. He wasn’t wrong. He could just toss a t-shirt or a towel up there, and if anyone asked, he could just say that Rhett was too shy to give a sample without it covered up. He was sure there wouldn’t be any follow-up questions after that.  _ “Why am I actually considering this?”  _ Link asked himself, not meaning for it to be out loud. He winced.

“Human Link, I must have you. I must show you how deeply my love for you goes. I have thought about this moment for weeks! I think about what it might be like to be intimate with you more often than you might imagine!” the merman explained, louder than Link would have preferred. Thank god the security cameras didn’t have any audio, he thought to himself.

Link looked all around, then down at the cup that was still in his hand, then up at Rhett. The more Rhett spoke, the more Link was actually considering hopping in that tank alongside Rhett and actually going through with the proposal. How much could it hurt, really? Link bit his lip as he thought,  _ “Well, it could hurt a lot, depending on how this goes…”  _ He’d been trying to be rational and fight his feelings for Rhett off for so long, but what had it gotten him? Rachel was out of the picture and he certainly wasn’t comfortable hooking up with any random guys in a bar, so trying to do the smart thing clearly wasn’t paying off. Link sighed deeply, ready to throw in the towel. “Okay,” he said with a sigh.

“HUMAN LINK, WAS THAT A YES?!” Rhett asked, eyes widening as a grin spread across his face.

At that sight, Link couldn’t help but smile slightly in response. “I guess so, yeah,” he nodded slowly, tossing the specimen jar into the tank. It floated on the surface of the water next to Rhett, who was so excited that he couldn’t sit still. 

Link opened his backpack and removed the dirty shirt he’d finally remembered to take home with him to wash. He walked away from the tank so he was standing just underneath the security camera in question and threw the shirt up, hoping it’d land in such a way that it would cover the lense. It took him a few tries, but in the end, he managed to complete the task. He then sat down at a bench beside the tank and untied his shoes. “Rhett, you have to promise me that you tell nobody about this, okay?” he asked.

“Why, Human Link? I hardly think we should be shy about our love!” Rhett retorted with a clap of his hands.

“Because I’m sure I could get fired for this. Maybe even banned from the aquarium. And then you’d never ever see me again,” Link explained, his tone expressing just how serious he was.

Rhett’s eyes widened at the thought. “My lips are sealed,” he nodded. “Nobody will know.”

“Thank you,” Link said, taking off his shirt next and draping it carefully on the bench. Link could tell the merman was eyeing his body already, and his face turned bright red. That’s when he could see Rhett’s face turning a darker shade of green, meaning he was blushing as well. It did make him feel better, knowing he wasn’t the only one getting flustered. He’d gotten this far with undressing, but the thought of removing his pants was intimidating, to say the least. He certainly never thought he’d be naked in the aquarium. Well, outside of the locker room, of course. 

Link suddenly realized he had no idea how this was going to work. He had no clue how this was going to go down. Did he even need to undress completely? He was okay with his underwear getting a little wet. He thought for a moment that he should go change into his wetsuit, but remembered the locker room was closed already. 

“Why are you hesitating, Human Link?” Rhett questioned softly, watching him with wide eyes.

Link gulped and glanced down at his belt, blushing. “Uh, I just…”

Link was suddenly worried that Rhett would find him repulsive once he undressed. His body certainly looked nothing like what he was used to, and he was worried things would just get awkward once he was naked. They really needed to be on the same page before things progressed and one or both of them got caught off guard. “What exactly is going to happen once I join you?” he asked nervously.

Rhett tugged on his beard, obviously nervous as well. “Well, I thought we would…” Rhett’s face continued to turn deeper and deeper shades of green as his blushing intensified. Link’s heart was racing with anticipation of his answer. “Just… Rub slits until you were ready for me to mount you.”

“Oooooh my God,” Link groaned loudly, covering his face with his hands in embarrassment. He shook his head in disbelief. 

“What is wrong? Did you have a different idea?” Rhett questioned, clearly worried he’d said something that had upset Link.

Link, meanwhile, couldn’t look at Rhett. He felt humiliated. Of course that’s what Rhett was thinking. Link had spent enough time with marine animals to know how aquatic mammals’ mating went down, but when he was supposed to engage in it himself, it felt… wrong. Very wrong. And it probably was. But he and Rhett were both consenting adult individuals, so maybe it was okay? 

“I don’t have a slit, Rhett,” Link groaned, face still covered.

“You don’t?” The merman asked, shocked and confused. “Then how will this work?”

“I don’t know, Rhett. I don’t know.” 

Link suddenly felt a wet hand wrap around his wrist, gently pulling his hand away from his face. Link opened his eyes and saw that Rhett was leaning as far out of the tank as he could so that he could hold him. 

“It is okay,” he reassured gently. “It may prove to be difficult, but we will figure this out. Please do not feel bad, Human Link.”

That did actually seem to help. Link dropped his other hand and nodded slowly before glancing around to triple check that they were still alone in the aquarium. He gulped and removed his pants and his underwear in one quick movement, worried that if he took any more time, he would back out entirely. He waited for Rhett to say something…  _ anything _ , but the merman was quiet for so long that Link grew extremely uncomfortable, shifting his weight awkwardly before covering himself with his hands.

“Do not cover yourself, Human Link,” Rhett breathed. “You are beautiful. Absolutely stunning.”

Link rolled his eyes and said, “Bullshit.” He was certain Rhett was just saying that.

“I do not know what that means, however based on your tone, it seems as if you think that I am lying. I am not. I have never seen anything like… you. You make me feel weak, which I never thought would be a positive feeling. But with you, I welcome it.” 

Link shook his head slowly in disbelief. How did this guy know how to say just the right things to make him want to melt every time he opened his damn mouth? Heaving a deep sigh, he worked up the courage to climb up the ladder on the side of the tank and sink into the water. It was cold at first, but that wasn’t the first sensation to hit Link. That would be the stinging of the salt water hitting the wound still present on his knuckles. He hissed at the sting and winced, but tried to ignore it, instead starting to swim over to where Rhett was waiting. That same instant, however, the merman swam to him, closing the distance much quicker than Link would have. He immediately wrapped his arms around the man, holding him close.

“Are you nervous to be back in the water after you were hurt?” Rhett asked inquisitively, not realizing why Link had appeared distressed for a moment.

Link gripped Rhett’s muscular arms tightly, kicking his legs out to keep himself afloat. He gulped at Rhett’s question. “Well, I wasn’t, but now that you bring it up…” he mumbled. 

“Do not worry, Human Link. I am strong enough to keep you up. You will never get hurt again while I am here,” Rhett whispered. It was the quietest the merman had ever been while Link was around, and the sound sent a shiver down his spine. He would be lying if he said that Rhett in his intimidating mode wasn’t extremely attractive, but this gentle, loving side of him was enough to make Link think his heart was going to stop. He simply nodded at Rhett’s reassurance and kept his head down, trying not to make eye contact or look at his own body. 

Link had been in this tank with Rhett plenty of times. He’d felt his skin and his scales against his own body more than once, but he had never been this close to him, and especially not like this. Despite Rhett being the one that had nearly ended his life, he felt safe in his arms. It felt as if Rhett was holding him up effortlessly, and that he could relax completely without having to worry about anything happening. He wasn’t comfortable enough to do that, yet, however. 

Rhett ran a dripping hand through Link’s still dry hair, a smile on his face. Link hadn’t thought about it before, but dryness was probably a relatively new idea to the merman. Just like the day that Rhett wanted to investigate his legs, the dry hair seemed to capture his attention completely in that moment. He looked like he was seeing the Mona Lisa up close, and it made Link giggle despite his nerves. 

“You are marvelous in every way, Human Link,” Rhett breathed. “You are a unique and fascinating creature that intrigues me in the most amazing way possible.” 

Link relaxed further at this comment. He never would have thought that Rhett looked at him the same way he looked at Rhett. In a world where Link was exactly like everyone else, as far as he was concerned, he was nothing special. And now, hearing this from Rhett, he was sure the merman felt the same way about himself; that he, too was average within the world he knew. Well, maybe even above average, based on his confidence. But Link’s point still stood. To each other, however, they were nothing short of awe inspiring. “I… I feel the same way about you,” Link replied under his breath, finally working up the courage to really say something. 

Rhett kissed Link deeply, catching him off guard. Link had a sudden thought that made him laugh into the kiss. Rhett was taking his breath away all over again, but this time, in the most perfect way. Slowly but surely gaining some confidence, he snaked his hands up to Rhett’s head, mimicking the merman’s own action and running his hand through his golden damp curls. Every part of him felt so amazingly soft, and Link never wanted to let go. 

Rhett broke this kiss to ask, “What is so funny?” 

Worried that Rhett thought he had done something wrong, Link spoke up immediately. “Last time I was in here with you, I couldn’t breathe because I was dying. Now I feel like I can barely breathe because I, uh… I think you’re so great.” Link winced slightly at how that sounded. It wasn’t the most eloquent answer, but at least it was honest.

Rhett grinned and kissed Link quickly once again. He cupped his cheek with one hand and continued to hold him close with the other. “I feel the same,” he whispered. 

Link heard a noise near the exit and nearly jumped out of his skin, clinging onto Rhett in fright. He realized almost immediately that it was simply a bird, but he was still shaken. “We have to hurry this up. I don’t want anyone to catch us,” Link insisted, even though he was almost certain that everyone but the security guards were gone, and they almost always stayed at their desk. Rhett nodded quickly and kissed Link on the forehead in silent agreement. “What do you want me to do?” he asked the merman. 

Before Rhett could speak, Link looked down, and now that he really looked, he knew exactly where Rhett’s…  _ anatomy  _ was. Link hesitated a moment, but hooked one arm around Rhett’s neck so he wouldn’t float away from him and began to trail the palm of his free hand down his muscular torso. Soon, skin gave way to scales, and from the look on the merman’s face, Link knew he’d reached the right place. Rhett’s eyes widened slightly and he subtly brought Link closer to him before nodding quickly. Link continued to gently rub the spot he’d found, smiling at the expressions of ecstasy on Rhett’s face. His eyes were closed and he was humming slightly, so Link was shocked when he was suddenly pushed away and disappeared under the water. He thought he had hurt Rhett at first, because just before the action, his finger momentarily had gotten caught on a scale. Before Link could worry about it, however, there were arms wrapped around his legs. Rhett had maneuvered himself in such a way that, when he swam higher,  it forced Link to be essentially sitting on his shoulders. With the sudden upward momentum, Link gasped and grabbed onto the back of Rhett’s head for dear life. 

His lower half, and along with it, all of Rhett, was still under the water’s surface. Link was laughing with amusement after such a sudden fright, similar to the feeling he’d get when he nearly tipped over backwards in a chair, which happened more often that he’d care to admit. A loud, involuntary squeal accompanied the giggles when he suddenly felt Rhett’s mouth wrap around his cock. The merman’s tongue wasted no time in circling his length as his head bobbed between his legs. Link’s eyes were wide open and he gulped, taken completely off guard by the action. Were mermen always this quick to escalate things, or was it just Rhett? Either way, he certainly didn’t mind. Link could feel himself growing harder with each passing second, and soon, his legs were trembling around Rhett’s head. His ankles were crossed behind the merman and he was struggling not to close his legs too hard, worried he’d hurt him. A thin veil of sweat was beginning to form on his skin from how intensely he was focusing on keeping himself under control. Grabbing a fist full of Rhett’s hair, Link tried his best to pull him away as quickly as possible, afraid he was getting too close to finishing. “S… Stop,” he managed to stammer between gasps, hoping that Rhett could hear him from under the water. 

Once again, without hesitation, Rhett popped up and looked nervous. “Was something wrong?” he asked.

Link shook his head and wrapped his arms tightly around Rhett’s neck before kissing him deeply. “No,” he breathed, his nose still touching the merman’s. “I just didn’t want it to be over so quickly. That was… It was perfect,” he admitted, his face bright red. 

Rhett grinned, obviously pleased with himself. “I am thrilled that I have the ability to make you feel so good, Human Link,” he enthused. “Would you like for me to m—”

“Please don’t say ‘mount’ again, Rhett,” Link laughed between panting. He was still trying to catch his breath after what had just happened. 

“Why not?” he questioned with an innocent look in his eye.

“Just don’t,” Link said, not feeling like trying to explain it yet. He didn’t want to waste any more time. “But… I think so,” he nodded. “But I didn’t think you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Link noticed that Rhett’s arm that wasn’t around his torso was holding something under the water. Link’s eyes followed it down to see the merman stroking himself, and he was much larger than Link had anticipated. Larger than most humans he’d seen, in fact, although he didn’t make a habit of seeking out images online. Oh, and it was green.

“You didn’t think what?” Rhett asked, his head tilted to the side.

“N… Nothing,” Link mumbled, suddenly extremely nervous all over again. There’s no way that could feel good inside of him. No way. It was too big. It had to be. Plus, weren’t they supposed to use some sort of lube? There was none of that around, and he was starting to panic at the thought. This had all been a terrible idea, and Link was ready to back out. Before he could say anything, however, he felt Rhett’s hands snake around to cup his ass, pulling him against himself. With that feeling, Link was melting into the merman’s body all over again. He wrapped his arms tightly around Rhett’s torso and his eyes fluttered closed with the intense comfort he was suddenly feeling along with the warmth emanating from Rhett’s body. Everything just felt right.

“Where am I supposed to m… Um…” Rhett started to ask. 

Link laughed quietly in appreciation at Rhett trying to avoid using the word Link had asked him not to say. He wrapped his legs around Rhett just where the skin began to turn to scales so that he was clinging onto the merman. “You’re close,” he mumbled, reaching around to grab one of Rhett’s hands, moving it over slightly. “There.”

Rhett hesitated a moment before nodding and flipping his tail up. Link felt Rhett press against him and he gasped, but not for the reason he was expecting. His entire lower abdomen suddenly felt warm and relaxed, like nothing he’d ever felt before. Before he realized what had happened, Rhett had pressed into him and was kissing along his collar bone. “Fuuuuck,” Link moaned, his eyes rolling back as a shudder rolled through his entire body along with the sensation of being suddenly  _ full _ .

“Are you okay, Human Link?” Rhett asked quickly.

Link nodded vigorously, eyes shut tight. “How did you do that?” he questioned, voice trembling. Sure, Link had never been with a man before, but he knew it should not have been that simple. 

“Do what?” Rhett asked, slowly pulling out and thrusting back in. 

Link buried his head in Rhett’s chest and let out a muffled whimper at the action. “Just… Humans… We need… Prep…” he spoke, struggling to get words out as Rhett continued to repeat the motion, almost agonizingly slow as far as Link was concerned. 

“You what?” Rhett asked, his voice suddenly a like a low rumble that caused Link to shudder all over again.

“We… Need lube and… Jesus, nevermind,” Link said, shaking his head. That wasn’t important right now. “That just… You feel…” Before he could finish his sentence, Link let out a long moan as Rhett’s pace began to quicken. 

He felt like putty in Rhett’s arms. The merman was supporting most, if not all, of his weight as he focused entirely on the warmth emanating from his lower abdomen. The rest of the world had disappeared and as far as Link was concerned, the only things that existed were himself, Rhett, the gentle sounds of the water splashing slightly, the feeling of Rhett inside of him, and the soft grunts that the merman was now making in his ear. But then, suddenly Rhett had moved one of his hands between them, grasping Link’s cock firmly and began to stroke along with the pace he had already set. 

Link threw his head back as he moaned once more, his mouth hanging open long after the sound had ended. He had the fleeting thought that nothing would ever feel as good, that he’d never find something that surpassed what he felt in that moment, but he was quickly proven to be wrong. Rhett had bent forward slightly and traced his tongue across Link’s chest before doubling back and paying special attention to his left nipple. He moved the hand not occupied by Link’s cock to work on teasing the other. Having Rhett paying special attention to every place that drove him the most crazy all at once, Link almost felt like passing out. The sheer, unadulterated pleasure he was feeling was almost too much to handle. All of his worries and fears and self conscious thoughts were completely gone. All  of his  thoughts were gone, in fact. He was trembling from head to toe and beginning to drip with sweat. Clinging onto Rhett as tightly as he could, he tried to fight off his quickly approaching orgasm, not ready for the moment of perfection and bliss to come to a close. 

“Rhett, oh my God,” he whimpered, wanting so badly to plead for him to slow down, to stop what he was doing entirely, or to at least stop one of the things he was doing. It was too much. He didn’t want it to end. But he couldn’t. It felt too good. “Please... Please…” 

Rhett did not pause or slow down with Link’s vocalizations. In fact, he sped up. He could tell he was driving Link nuts, and that in itself was enough to make him feel ready to go over the edge. Link was too lost in his own pleasure to notice, slowly bucking into Rhett’s hand without realizing that he was, but Rhett was struggling to keep himself together, as well. The merman’s eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to focus completely on Link and making him feel amazing, but soon enough, he was grunting and panting along with his human companion. 

“Rhett, I’m… I’m gonna cum,” Link squeaked. “S… Stop…” He batted Rhett’s hand away from his nipple and tried to pry his head up. Rhett looked up curiously, not knowing what Link meant by that, although he did have an idea based on the context clues. Link grasped the merman’s head between his hands and planted a deep, sloppy kiss on his lips. Legs squeezed tightly around his tail, Link was convulsing now, too far gone now to ask Rhett for more time. This was it. He broke the kiss and buried his face in the base of Rhett’s neck as he stiffened up, a trembling cry escaping as he came into the merman’s hand. Rhett had slipped out of Link in the commotion, but the sound of the man’s climax alone was more than enough to send Rhett over the edge as well. He growled as he bucked his tail a few times, muscles contracting right along with Link’s. 

The fact that the entire point of Link coming to the tank was to collect a sample didn’t cross his mind. His body had gone completely limp in Rhett’s embrace, the merman truly being the only thing to keep him afloat. His eyes were closed and his mouth hung open slightly as he breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath, but he was ready to fall asleep at any moment. He raised his head after a moment, opening his eyes only slightly, wanting to see Rhett’s face when he spoke, but what he saw distracted him enough that any thought he had a moment earlier was gone. The glowing blue bioluminescence that Link had seen before was surrounding him, spiraling around his body. It was hypnotic, and nearly driving him into a trance. What was going on? It was like the stuff itself wanted him… Link was happy that Rhett still had his wits about him, because the merman had reached over and retrieved the specimen jar that was floating nearby. He unscrewed the top himself and got as much as he could into it before closing it and letting it sink to the bottom of the tank.

“It wants to get to you because I am in love with you,” Rhett whispered softly. “What did you call it? Head over what? Heels?” 

Link’s eyes fluttered shut once more and his head lolled forward, landing against Rhett’s chest. He was so exhausted that Rhett’s words didn’t compute in his head. It just sounded like gibberish. The merman chuckled softly and easily maneuvered Link so that he was holding him in a fetal position. Link was happy to be safe in Rhett’s gentle embrace, ready to fall asleep. He’d never been so exhausted after sex, even when he’d been in some pretty...intense moments. This was an entirely new level of exhaustion. So much so that he almost felt...high. High in the most blissful way imaginable. Link wondered if the tales of sirens and mermaids luring pirates into the sea with their song actually had something to do with a unique pheromone. He was about to say something, but he started to drift off to sleep. Rhett rested his forehead against Link’s and started to hum a tune unfamiliar to Link, but beautiful and calming nonetheless.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last part! Hopefully you guys enjoy it! ♥

When Link awoke, he had no idea where he was for a moment. His head was leaned back against something, and… Was he in water? That’s when he realized he was naked, and memories came rushing back into his mind. Rhett’s arms were wrapped tightly around his abdomen from behind, and his shoulder was what Link’s head was resting against. It was still dark, so he must not have been asleep for long. With a soft groan, he shifted and turned so he was facing Rhett. 

“Hello again,” Rhett said sweetly, grinning.

Link couldn’t help but smirk in response. “What did you do to me?” he asked.

Rhett’s smile fell slightly, slightly confused as to what Link was asking about. He thought the answer was pretty straight forward. “We had an intimate bonding experience,” Rhett said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Link giggled softly and shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I… That’s not what sex with humans are like. I’ve never… zoned out like that, and I’ve never fallen asleep so quickly after. That was… It was like I was drugged or something,” he explained. That was the best word Link could use to describe it. Like a drug. Because if he were being honest, he already wanted more. He never wanted to let go of Rhett. He never wanted to step back on dry land. And he most certainly understood how those myths of sailors disappearing came to be. 

“I have never had a partner react in that way,” Rhett said, and Link could tell he was being honest. “More times than not, we finished and swam our separate ways.”

Link pulled Rhett’s head down slightly so he could kiss him again. “I need to go home,” he breathed. “I don’t want to, but I do.”

Rhett nodded. He wished Link could live in the tank with him and never go back to his apartment, but he knew that was impossible just as much as Link knew Rhett following him home would never happen. “Will I see you tomorrow?” he asked.

Link nodded. “I don’t know what time it is, but depending on how long I was asleep, you might be seeing me in just a few hours,” he laughed.

Rhett grinned at the idea, and nodded. He swam off to retrieve the sample, pressing it into Link’s hand. “Do not forget this,” he said with a deep green blush. 

“Oh, right,” Link said, his face turning red in turn. “I forgot about that. Thanks for remembering…”

“It was my pleasure,” Rhett assured before kissing his forehead. 

“I’ll be back soon,” the man promised before swimming to the edge of the tank and climbing out. 

He padded across the concrete to where he had dropped his backpack and fished through it for the towel he was bringing home to wash. He quickly dried himself off and got dressed before removing his t-shirt from the security camera. With a final wave goodbye to the merman, Link headed back through the halls of the aquarium to lab. Ben had left the lab unlocked for Link, so he had no trouble sneaking in and leaving the jar in the freezer. He stopped for a moment and stared at it. The glowing substance still seemed to be trying to get to him. Link could vaguely remember Rhett saying something before he fell asleep about it wanting him, but it was all a blur. He simply smiled and closed the freezer door to head home. 

Once he was lying in bed back at his apartment, he was wide awake as the sun was beginning to rise. Link knew he should have tried to get some more sleep before work, but his mind was reeling as he tried to remember every single detail of the night before. And once again, he wanted so desperately to call Rachel to tell her what had happened. But that was probably inappropriate right? Yes. Of course it was. But maybe she wouldn’t mind… Link was trying to rationalize it when his phone began to ring on his bedside table. He put on his glasses, finally resigning  himself to the fact that there would be no more sleeping before he had to get up for work. Checking the caller ID, he saw that it was, in fact, Rachel.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Jeez, you’re awake?” she asked, obviously surprised. “You’re never awake this early.”

“I was thinking about calling you, actually,” he admitted. “Why are  _ you  _ awake?” 

“I really wanted to tell you something, but I’m still not sure if you want to hear about it,” she explained, obviously nervous.

Link couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was doing. You first.” 

Rachel was quiet for a long time before she said softly, “It’s about Chris. Is that okay?” 

Link sighed, but nodded. It took him a moment to remember that Rachel couldn’t actually see the gesture. He chuckled softly and said, “Sorry. I nodded, but you’re not here. Whoops. Yeah. Go ahead.” 

Rachel giggled softly on the other end. “Dork. Well, we, uh… We fucked.”

Link raised his eyebrows, and surprised himself when he didn’t get furiously jealous. “Yeah? And? How was it? Did Chris rock your world as much as I could?” he teased. 

Link could practically feel Rachel rolling her eyes on the other end of the line. “No, actually. He didn’t. And I think I’m gonna dump him. How ‘bout you?”

Link’s breath got caught in his throat. Shit. Was she going to want to get back together now? After all of this? “I, um… I slept with a guy… At his place of residence,” he said vaguely. 

“Oh my god, finally! What was his name? How was it?” she questioned. 

Link hesitated a moment before mumbling, “Rhett.”

The line was quiet for an excruciating amount of time. “The merman, Rhett?” she asked finally. 

“I was supposed to get a sample of his jizz for the lab and long story short, I joined him,” he said. 

“I thought—”

“I thought I was over him, too, Rachel. I really did,” Link interrupted, already knowing what she was going to say. “But I was wrong. Jesus, I was wrong.”

“You didn’t answer me. How was it?” she pressed.

Link was surprised to hear honest curiosity in her voice, so he obliged in answering her question. “It was...unreal. Like, you know how there’s all those stories of guys drowning because the mermaids—”

Now it was Rachel’s turn to interrupt. “So it was amazing? Like you were wanted to die, amazing?”

Link gulped and let out a soft, “Yeah. It was like a drug, Rachel. I fell asleep in his arms immediately. I still kind of feel high from it. I’m kind of nervous about it being dangerous, if I’m being honest. Like, we didn’t need any lube or anything and it just was not normal.” And he was being honest. The thought hadn’t crossed his mind until just that moment, but it was there nonetheless. What if Rhett was dangerous?

“Don’t worry about that, Link. You were hardcore crushing on him long before now. And he feels the same way,” she explained. 

“But, Rachel…” Link started before cutting himself off.

“But what?” 

“If you’re not with that Chris guy anymore, then we—”

Rachel shushed him. “Link, no. I know you think it’s a bad idea or whatever, but whatever it is you have going on with Rhett? It’s real. I can see it from a mile away. I’ve seen it for a long fucking time, now. Maybe being with me would be the smart, responsible thing to do, but c’mon. You just had sex so mind blowing that you think it’s dangerous.”

Link couldn’t help but chuckle at her argument. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. Don’t throw that away,” she insisted.

Link sighed and said, “I love you, Rachel.”

Without hesitation, she replied, “I love you, too. Link. I always will. Who knows? Maybe twenty years from now, we’ll both be single and revamp our relationship and pick up where we left off. But not yet.”

“Not yet,” he finally agreed. “See you at work,” he said with a smile, sitting up in bed, ready to start his day.

“See ya.”

* * *

 

The moment Link arrived at work, he practically sprinted through the halls trying to get to his locker as quickly as he could, wanting to get back to Rhett as soon as possible. He nearly ran into Ben on his way there.

“Link, man! I saw the sample you dropped off! Absolutely stunning! How’d you convince him to give you that?” 

Link failed at fighting off a blush. His face was burning up. “Uh… You know, I just asked nicely,” he lied, hoping that the man wouldn’t see through it.

Ben was quiet for a moment, but then shrugged. “I was hoping for a more interesting story, but whatever. Thanks, man.”

“No problem!”  Link finally arrived at his locker and threw his backpack into it. He changed into his uniform as quickly as he possibly could, and was still buckling his belt as he left the room. 

When he arrived at the trout exhibit, he was excited to see Rhett gently floating on the surface of the water, happily soaking up the sun. “Rhett!” Link called happily, waving his hand when the merman perked up.

“Link, good morning!” Rhett practically sang, swimming over to the edge of the tank to greet him. 

Link certainly noticed the lack of the word human before his name, and it made him feel special, like something had changed between them. And something certainly had. Link didn’t just have a crush on Rhett anymore. Link was absolutely head over heels in love with him. He wanted to climb right back into the tank and make love to him again and again, but that would have to wait. He looked around, making sure they were alone, before he leaned in and gave Rhett a gentle kiss , security cameras damned to hell . 

When he stepped back again, Rhett had a large grin on his face. “I was so eager for you to return that I did not sleep,” he admitted.

“I didn’t sleep at all either,” Link replied. “I have to go get some chores started, but I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Leaving already?” Rhett asked, teasing Link  with an overdramatic pout. 

“I’ll be right back. I promise,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. 

“Hurry!” the merman bellowed. 

Link simply flashed him a thumbs-up and ran back the way he had come, trying to rush to get his responsibilities done as quickly as possible.  He couldn’t wait to get back and find out what this new first name basis business was all about.  Link had no idea how he and Rhett would manage having a relationship due to the fact that the merman was confined to a tank in a very public place, but for once, Link wasn’t worried about that. He wasn’t worrying about all of the logistics behind things, even though he was confident that he couldn’t continue to simply throw a t-shirt over the security camera. For the first time in a very long while, Link was content and ready to just take things as they came. He and Rhett were happy, and that’s all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING! Almost two YEARS after I started, this fic is finally over! I'm going to miss it, that's for sure. I definitely wouldn't have finished it so quickly if it weren't for [Catie](http://thefrenchmaidoutfit.tumblr.com/). So you definitely have her to thank lol. I really hope this chapter is a fitting end! 
> 
> ~Not to say that there won't be a one shot based on it here or there in the future, but we'll have to wait and see ;)


End file.
